Two soccer teams from Smithers recently travelled south to represent the Bulkley Valley in Penticton for the Provincial Championships. The Bulkley Valley Rapids U18 boys are coached by Bill Holdyk and assisted by Brian Irvine, who also coaches the U16 girls team.
Irvine said despite the relative isolation of Smithers, the teams both represented their home well.
“One of the challenges of being up here is not having a lot of competition before you go,” he said. “The girls and the boys teams both played very well.”
The girls didn’t lose any games in regular pool play. They won their first match against Cranbrook with a score of 1-0. Their second match, against Coquitlam, ended in a 0-0 draw. They also won their third by a score of 1-0, over Penticton.
At the end of the two days, Bulkley Valley was tied in their division with Coquitlam, who took the top spot with a higher number of goals for. During the bronze match on July 10, the girls lost 2-0 to Kelowna, ending the tournament in fourth place.
The group that played in Penticton was for the most part the same group of girls that went scoreless and winless at last year’s Provincials, so tying the second place team and making it to the bronze medal match was a huge improvement over the course of a year.
“The girls couldn’t have played better,” said Irvine.
The boys, meanwhile, started out with a close loss on the first day, losing 2-1 to Nelson. The team rested on day two, thanks to a bye due to a team that wasn’t able to make it to the Championships. On day three the boys rallied, winning 3-0 over Penticton, and earning a spot in the bronze medal match.
In their final game, the Rapids held strong and beat out the Prince George Kodiaks 3-1, bringing home bronze medals from the Provincials.
“They just got better as the tournament went on,” said Irvine. “The boys had an excellent final game.”
Irvine said he was glad to see so many players manage to make it to the tournament, despite the fact that many were working part- or full-time jobs, saving for university.
“That was neat that they made that commitment,” he said. “It’s gratifying to see them play so well. These guys have soccer skills that will last them the rest of their lives.”