Holiday Cup youngsters play to finish of tournament
- Klas Stolpe
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Elementary, middle and high school champs crowned
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The hearty survivors of the storm-shortened 33rd annual Holiday Cup Soccer Tournament made it to the championship finals Friday at the Dimond Park Field House, and three youth division champions were crowned.
The action started in the semifinals of the elementary division (in which players must be 9 years old) as the Stocking Squad won 3-2 in overtime over the Kringle’s Kickers to advance to the title clash against Snowflake United, who had defeated Candy Cane United 1-0 in the other semifinal.
After the match, Candy Cane United’s Ayden Henricksen was presented with a gift certificate and new soccer ball as the winner of the tournament’s sweater design contest.
In the first minute of the final, the Stocking Squad scored and three minutes later Snowflake United tied the match at 1-1. With 15 minutes left in the first half, Snowflake United went ahead 2-1 and then closed out the match with two more goals and patient ball control to win the title 4-1.
Snowflake United included Ole Bjork, Asher Bradshaw, Not Gamulo, Elyse Heffner, Myles Heffner, Nels LaPenter, Liam Lumba, Cannon Mothershead, Gabby Nguyen, Shelby Race, Beatrice Thomas, Ellis Woodrow and coach Natalie Travis.
Stocking Squad included Sterling Beck, Wren Dihle, Milo Johnson, Adlee Keller, Oliver Lium, Allen Munoz Fernandez, Mae Roters, Lucie Shing, Kathryn Sperry, Franco Torres, Joshua Weston, Lincoln Boucher, and coaches Riley Shultz and Peyton Wheeler.
In the championship in the middle school division (grades 6, 7 and 8), the Frosty Futbolers went up 2-0 in the first 13 minutes over Big Beard Ballers. But the tides turned, and the BBBs scored three times to take a 3-2 advantage at the break.
In the second half, the Frosty Futbolers opened with a tying goal, then two minutes later took a 4-3 lead.
The Big Beard Ballers would tie the match at 4-4 with 20 minutes remaining in the second half but the Frosty Futbolers took control the rest of the way with superior back line defense and scored three goals for a 7-4 title win.
Frosty Futbolers included Sophia Beedle, Emmett Boucher, Kristen Ray Del Rosario, Momar Diouf, Lake Harvey, Lupine Harvey, Wyatt Hickok, Owen Hollatz, Gavin Ludeman, Cole Savland, Lucas Shing, Elsa Smith and coaches Ronan Tagsip and Zoe Tagsip.
Big Beard Ballers included Gina Athwani, Audrey Burke, Lincoln Freas, Landon Gamulo, Fernando Garcia, Jaxson Heumann-Wythe, Michaelyn Jackson, Sorin Leahu, Mariah Mixson-Parson, Wyatt Reiter, Tristan Roberts, Lily Roomsburg and coach McCoy.
In the championship of the high school division (grades 9-12), the aftermath of the harsh weather that canceled play earlier in the tournament meant some players were attending an Olympic Development Program (ODP) tournament in Phoenix with various Alaska state teams and some players were on family vacations — which are a tradition for the originally scheduled finish date of play. So the Arctic Strikers and Candy Cane Commandos picked up additional substitutes.
Arctic Strikers scored in the first minute of play, and three minutes later Candy Cane Commandos hit a rebound heel kick of a free ball to tie the game at 1-1, which would stay knotted through the first 25 minutes.
In the second half, Arctic Strikers challenged a goal kick and deflected it in for a score, and with 17 minutes remaining they attacked and scored again for a 3-1 lead.
With 13 minutes remaining, the Candy Cane Commandos caught the opposing keeper too far forward and played a long shot in to trail 3-2.
Arctic Strikers reacted like their team name and hit from distance with 10 minutes left and from 10 yards out with seven minutes left to take a 5-2 lead. Candy Cane Commandos scored with 6:30 remaining to close to 5-3.
Arctic Strikers scored again for 6-3 with three minutes left and Candy Cane Commandos hit their final goal a minute later to trail 6-4, but ran out of time for a comeback.
Arctic Strikers original members included Brynlie Tingey, Anbelin Tingey, Henry Maier, Isaac Kirsch, Sonny Mazon, Maddie Dale, Ayla Erickson, Ibrahima Diouf, Jayce McDonald-Cox, Avery Nichols, Clivve Mateo and AJ Steinke.
Candy Cane Commandos original members included Elijah Edgar, Troy Edgar, Sasha Morrison, Alyssa Travis, Mia Alexander, Fixx Siner, Claire Overson, Osian Morris, Imanol Vera, Callen Walker, Parker Katasse and Aiden Walling.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
