Local teams do well, mine silver and gold at Valley Kickoff

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Despite a few interruptions caused by thunder and lightning that resulted in some headaches for organizers, the annual Valley Kickoff soccer tournament June 20-22 went on more or less as scheduled.

The yearly start of the summer soccer season in the eastern Valley organized by the Valley United Soccer Club as a Tier 1 fundraiser saw competition in 11 age categories, from U-12 through to senior women.

As well, for the first time this year, there was an U-10 division, both boys and girls, though play was non-competitive and no winners were declared.

In the competitive divisions, Kings County teams captured a pair of gold medals and four silver. East Kings (Hubley) topped Kings West Hurricane 3-0 in the U-16 B boys’ final and East Kings (Dekoe) blanked West Hants 4-0 in the U-16 girls’ final.

Somerset made it to the championship game in U-12 B boys only to drop a 3-2 decision to Scotia. East Kings (Leopold) lost 3-0 to West Hants (Lahey) in the U-14 B boys’ final, and Somerset lost a 1-0 game to Windsor in the Senior Women’s final.

Other division winners included Dartmouth United in U-12 A boys and U-14 A boys, Halifax City in U-12 B girls, West Hants (Hughes) in U-14 B girls, East Hants in U-16 A boys and Yarmouth in U-18 boys.

In an exhibition game not part of the Valley Kickoff tournament, the Valley United U-18 girls took on the Boise Central U-17 girls’ team from Idaho in a match played Sunday evening on the turf at Raymond Field in Wolfville.

The visiting team - part of the Boise Central Soccer Club that plays for state championships in most age divisions and competes in premier soccer tournaments throughout the western U.S. - won 4-2 in an entertaining contest that was also briefly interrupted by the weather. Taylor Wade and Maia Jorgenson scored the Valley goals.