U15 Pinnacles Repeat Champions

The U15 Pinnacle Girls (formerly known as U14) coached by Tony Afonso played their best soccer of the year at the Peach City Classic soccer tournament. Their hard work was rewarded with 3 wins in pool play and then a decisive win in the championship final. In their first game Friday night under the lights and a full moon the girls took on a plucky team from Quesnel and dominated for the full 70 minutes. The final score was 6-0 and the Penticton team did not give up a shot on goal. Goal scorers were Zoe Fraser, Kate Holowaty, Adra Greig, Kara Perehudoff, Bryanne Francisco and Natalie Webb (Yolanda Hector, Melanie Girard and Evyn Haberstock were strong in the midfield). Their next game was Saturday morning, and despite the heat, the team took Surrey United to task, and scored a 5-0 victory.
Again the defense was strong and Surrey never had a decent scoring chance. Goal scorers were Amanda Chyzzy, Holowaty, Fraser (2), and Greig. Later on Saturday the goals took on North Vancouver in what proved to be their defining game. The Pinnacles game out hard and scored the first goal of the game (Nikita Afonso), but North Van responded with 3 unanswered goals. Although stunned, the Pinnacles did not waiver and they were able to get one back(Greig) before the end of the first half. To start the second half Penticton came out on fire and scored two quick goals (Megan Socidade, Fraser: both goals set up by passes from Chyzzy). However, North Van would not quit as they score the equalizer about half way through the half. The defining moment came when faced with a charging North Van team, the Pinnacles did not waiver and cranked up the defense that allowed for several quick and effective counter attacks. The game winning goal came as Holowaty stole the ball on the right side and made a clever chip over a defender to send Chyzzy on a run. She made no mistake as she struck the ball on a high arching trajectory that flew over the keeper’s head and below the crossbar. Afonso added the insurance goal several minutes later as the team won its way into the final 6-4. Anne Theilmann earned the victory in net as she again received tremendous support from the defense (Gabby Levesque, Shayna Lawrie, Carolyn Johnson, Greig, Brianne Hrynyk, Crystal Schuder).

In the championship game, the Pinnacles played the Red Deer Rebels and absolutely steam rolled them in the first half. Holowaty started the scoring early off a scramble following a free kick, followed by goals from Fraser and Theilmann. Red Deer mounted a surge in the second half scoring a late goal, but the effort was too little and too late. The U15 Pinnacle Girls captured their second straight Peach City Classic with a 3-1 victory over Red Deer with Afonso playing a strong game in net. The team will take a short break before resuming its fall schedule against Okanagan teams.