The Under-15 Kodiaks still have a chance to kick for gold.
The Kodiaks, a girls all-star team from the Prince George Youth Soccer Association, take a 1-0-1 record into play today at their Provincial B Cup tournament in Kelowna. If they defeat the CMFSC Black Ice of Coquitlam this afternoon, they'll qualify for Sunday's championship game.
Kodiaks head coach Rod Auld said his team should give the Coquitlam girls a good run.
"We're comparable with them," he said. "I think it's going to be a good game, and you know what, who knows? It's not going to be a blowout either way.
"We'll use our one-touch passing, move the ball -- none of this kick and run stuff," he added. "Our girls are more into ball possession now. When they're working the ball they play a lot better."
On Friday, the Kodiaks and Nelson Selects fought to a 0-0 draw. In sweltering 34C heat, the teams matched each other step-for-step in the first half but the Kodiaks dominated the second and were unlucky not to score. Auld estimated that his club took three shots to every one for Nelson.
"Their goalie made some good stops," Auld said. "We were shooting everywhere. It was just continuous -- push, push, push, but we couldn't get a result."
Riley Brennan picked up the shutout for the Kodiaks. She only had to deal with about four Nelson shots but did a good job of staying mentally sharp during her long stretches of inaction.
"She's good for that because she keeps her head involved in the game," Auld said. "She focuses on what's going on and she's in it all the time. I don't have to worry about her."
The Kodiaks won their tournament-opener on Thursday, 3-0 against the Comox Valley Aftershock.
U-14B boys slip to 0-2
Given their relative inexperience, the Under-14B Kodiaks suspected the Provincial B Cup would offer them a tough test.
They were right.
The local boys all-star soccer club dropped to 0-2 at provincials after a 3-1 Friday loss to the Kootenay South Bighorns. On Thursday, Prince George fell 2-1 to Prospect Lake SC of Vancouver Island.
"We're a pretty new team," head coach Brett MacPherson said from Aldergrove, site of the tournament. "I've got a lot of players I've pulled out of house league. Everybody looks at us and says, 'You're the ones that won provincials last year,' but we're not. We're not the same team. We were split up into an A and B squad so most of the players that won provincials last year are on the A squad. My guys are new. They're trying to get their feet wet and it's a big step up for them."
Owen Delisle scored the only goal for the Kodiaks on Friday. With time ticking down in the second half, he used a header to beat the Kootenay goalkeeper.
The Kodiaks will take on Langley United today.
Citizen phone calls to the coaches of other PGYSA teams competing in provincial tournaments were not returned on Friday. The U-16A girls are in Kamloops and the U-17 and U-18 boys are in Aldergrove.
