Okanagan Whitecaps U14 boys move into second

Okanagan Whitecaps U14 boys move into second with solid 5-1 win over Coastal WFC

The Thompson Okanagan Whitecaps U14 boys were back in Super Y League action this weekend with back-to-back home games against Mountain WFC and Coastal WFC, traditionally two of the strongest Y league soccer clubs. The Okanagan boys started Saturday’s game in a confident mood after last week’s win over Surrey and got off to a great start with an opening goal scored just two minutes in by Andrew Stevenson after some great work on the wing by Jordan Garcha.

Okanagan continued to press throughout the first half and was desperately unlucky not to build on their lead. Robin Whittaker came close on several occasions, including a 30-yard drive that rattled the crossbar. Salmon Arm’s Devin Popoff led the Okanagan’s midfield as it dominated the first half and left the visitors relieved to finish the half just a single goal down.

An experienced Mountain WFC regrouped at the half and, assisted by questionable refereeing, was able to apply significant pressure and create several good goal-scoring opportunities. The score remained 1-0 until five minutes from the final whistle when Mountain WFC penetrated the OKW defence for the equalizer. The outstanding Matthew McHugh went close near the final whistle, however the OK Whitecaps were unable to snatch a late winner, leaving the score tied at 1-1.

Sunday’s game against Coastal WFC saw the Okanagan team once again in top form as they demolished the visitors 5-1. Early pressure from the Okanagan team was rewarded when Matt McHugh opened the scoring midway through the first half. Salmon Arm’s Brendan Melin – in net for the team’s injured keeper – made a superb penalty save close to the half to preserve the lead against a team that beat the Okanagan 3-2 when they met on the coast earlier in the season.

The second half saw the Whitecaps continue to dominate, with Andrew Stevenson scoring a hat trick and Penticton’s James Taylor adding a single. The Okanagan defence, led by the outstanding performance of Salmon Arm’s Jeff Philibert, was solid throughout with great performances from Garrett Wiltse, Alex Beutle, and Cody Hutton. James Gass and the ever-reliable Sam Bowers were also impressive. Okanagan goalkeeper Jake Bainas continues to recover from a serious injury, making this weekend’s 5-1 result even more impressive.

This weekend’s results move the U14 boys into second place in the Northwest division of the Super Y league. The team’s next game is an away match against the first-placed Abbotsford Mariners; a team Okanagan beat 3-2 earlier in the season.