The foot of Felix Maltais led Whitehorse to victory in an international futsal tournament Sunday morning.

About 80 young players from Juneau and the Yukon took part in the futsal tournament – a sport quickly becoming the latest rage among local soccer players.

Whitehorse topped Juneau 4-1 in the boys final, capping a fast-paced tournament held over the weekend at Vanier Catholic Secondary School.

Maltais scored twice – including the game-winner – against a Juneau side that lost three times to the eventual champs over the weekend.

“It was definitely the most challenging game of the three that we played them,” said Maltais, 13. “They haven’t been playing futsal for as long as we have ... But also, we rushed to the ball more and intercepted passes.”

Ewan Halliday gave the host squad an early lead, curling in a corner kick to make it 1-0.

From there, Whitehorse ratcheted up the pressure, building a 2-0 lead when Maltais sent a ball sailing home from half for a 2-0 lead.

Maltais would add a second strike later, one-timing a corner kick from Halliday through the Juneau keeper’s legs.

Juneau’s Kanon Goetz gave his team some late life, burying a long rebound past keeper Aaron Rich, who was down-and-out after making a tough first save.

But Haines Junction’s Dawson Weir added an insurance goal late in the contest, tapping in a pretty pass from Joseph Coyne to make it 4-1.

“Whitehorse came down in January and introduced us to this,” said Juneau coach Erik Norberg. “It’s a fast-paced game. The technical skill level – footwork and speed – is really increased. And you’re constantly having to think ahead. Where is that next pass going to go?”

In lieu of indoor soccer, futsal will be played at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games in Greenland.

The sport – translated as hall football – encourages players to improvise, be creative and improve ball control and passing on a smaller field.

The half-hour games featuring five-on-five action saw plenty of quick footwork and pretty passes last weekend.

“It’s a very fast game, very technical, encouraging quickness of the mind,” said Whitehorse coach Victor Lavanderos.

“It’s a transition to outdoor, because we’re playing with lines.”

He said the sport encourages balance, forcing the team to attack and defend as a four-man unit.

The girls final featured a battle of Juneau-based teams.

Alongside the futsal tournament, the Yukon Soccer Association (YSA) completed a soccer exchange with Juneau that saw the Canada Games Centre abuzz with action from Friday night to Sunday morning.

“We just wanted to get the kids some competition and different faces to play against,” said John MacPhail, head coach of the YSA.

Standings were not kept, he added.

While the two cities’ younger players were in Whitehorse, two Yukon teams made up of high school students travelled to Juneau to play outdoors.

The girls team went unbeaten, finishing 3-0-1, while the boys squad logged a record of 2-2.