Vernon United Tolko held off a late rally to beat Kelowna Yellow 4-3 in Thompson Okanagan Youth Soccer League Boys U13 action.
Vernon got off to a bad start with the traveling Kelowna team scoring off the initial kickoff on their first run down the pitch. It was an early wake up call and the Tolko boys responded with a goal by Thomas Nice on a scramble in front of the Kelowna goal keeper. Nice added a little backspin on the shot and when the keeper bobbled it the ball spun backwards into the net.
Jeffrey Curtis added another VU goal on a great run and super through ball from Ethan Nickoli to put United up 2-1 at the half. Kelowna Yellow came out strong and physical in the second half and put solid pressure on the Tolko timber. Kelowna’s aggressiveness came through and a Kelowna defender took down Thomas Nice in the box. The referee awarded a penalty kick which Nice converted calmly.
Kelowna didn’t back down and with the score 3-1, they earned a free kick just outside the Vernon penalty area. The Kelowna forward executed a brilliant free kick into the top left corner. With the score 3-2, Vernon continued the attack with solid runs from Cole Kopera, Leif Richter and Jessiah Wadsworth, each with breakaways down the centre of the park.
With five minutes left to play Wadsworth was released on another sprint breakaway which he cut across to Richter who buried his shot making it 4-2. Kelowna added another goal to make it 4-3 at the final whistle.
Outstanding goal keeping from Lyndon Carleton all game and excellent defending by James Lockwood, Griffin Trickey, Dane Beaton, Nickoli and Alessandro Durfeld earned the team a victory.
UNITED TOLKO U12 BOYS BLUE
Vernon has a win and a tie in its two league games in 28-degree heat in Penticton.
Tolko opened up their match day with a 2-0 win over Kamloops, who had a great opportunity on goal right out of the gate, but it was saved from a nice dive from Vernon’s keeper Keaton Lamoureux. Bentley Oyarzun, Jake Earle and Jonah Petrone all had great scoring chances for United before the team’s first goal came off a nice assist from Brayden Fernley and a cross-rebound off of Earle from Petrone.
The second half started with great hustle and team effort by Tolko, with nice shots on the net from Patrone, Keegan Mark and Deklen Mcdonald. Fernley added the second goal.
After a cool down, Vernon took on another Kamloops squad and played them to a 1-1 tie.
Within seconds, keeper Lamoureux took a cleat to the leg on KYSA’s first shot at the net and had to leave the game for a spell before returning to finish the contest. Cole Budgen steps in to play goal and immediately saves a nice shot. KYSA puts the first goal in net to go up 1-0, but amazing pressure from Vernon with some great team effort and a perfect comeback goal from Cale Fraser makes the game 1-1. Both teams played extremely well.
UNITED TOLKO U12 BOYS WHITE
Vernon dropped a pair of games in Penticton, falling 6-3 to Kelowna and 5-1 to Kamloops.
In the opener, Markus Barrajon started the scoring for United, assited by Jeremy Peterson, but Kelowna quickly tied the contest. Stephen Taylor made a great header into the net to give United a 2-1 lead. Tolko keeper Nathan Rinkel made some amazing saves but Kelowna again equalized after United failed to clear the ball.
Kelowna made it 3-2 from the penalty spot before Taylor made a great corner kick to Peterson, who buried the ball to tie the game 3-3. Unfortunately, Kelowna would score the game’s final three goals for the victory.
Zoel Willett, Austin Lewis and Kelton McAveary had strong defensive games for United while Rinkel twinkled in the Vernon net, and Peterson and Brendan Elder also had solid games in midfield.
Agaiont Kamloops, Vernon gave up an early goal before Dawson Bond made a great run through the Blaze defence, only to be denied the equalizer on a great save by the Kamloops keeper.
Lewis, on a great pass from Anderson Bicknel, had the lone Vernon goal. Rinkel, Taylor and Nathaniel Loewen had strong games for Vernon.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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