It didn’t matter who the Striker Selects were playing; the results were always the same.

All the young team from Whitehorse did was win during a mini-tournament held in the Yukon capital over the weekend.

The competitive soccer club made up of 2002- and 2003-born players – formerly known as the Junior Selects – beat the Fairbanks Rush 11-3 and 10-1, also downing a 2003/2004 Whitehorse 1 development team 10-0 at the Canada Games Centre (CGC).

The Fairbanks squad beat the Whitehorse 1 squad 5-2 in their game.

The Selects-Rush weekend series was billed as a clash of champions.

The Rush are the reigning Alaska State Cup champs, while the Selects have won the last three Alaska Airline Cups – the largest annual outdoor soccer tournament in Alaska. No other Yukon team has ever won the event.

While both teams were missing players this weekend, Selects captain Rhys Faragher, 12, said his side is relishing their recent success.

“It’s fun to have teams come here to play because we don’t get lots of competition,” he said following Saturday’s 11-3 win.

Faragher added that while he didn’t expect the lopsided scorelines, his team had beaten the Rush before in Alaska Airline Cup play.

Strikers Joe Hanson, Andreas Lavenderos and Ashton Bryant all played starring roles this weekend.

The teams also enjoyed a recreational futsal tournament at Vanier Catholic Secondary School.

“Futsal is very technical and works on their footwork,” said Selects coach Victor Lavanderos. “They play a more controlled game of four on four.”

Players like Lionel Messi and Neymar got their start playing futsal, he explained, and it was an important part of their development.

“It was nice to have Fairbanks here for competition,” he added, before addressing his own team.

“It’s a pleasure to coach them,” Lavanderos said of the youngsters.

Meanwhile, Rush coach Janet Schaefer said her side appreciated the competitive atmosphere as well.

“This team has been really supportive of us,” she said of the Selects. “In fact, four of our players went down to Vancouver and played with them in October. ... It’s a 15-hour drive (from Fairbanks to Whitehorse) but it’s worth it. We’ve established a good relationship and we wanted to support the Whitehorse community.”

The Selects continue to impress U.S. clubs. Both Hanson and Faragher have made guest appearances with Crossfire Premier, a Seattle-based club presently ranked among the country’s top 20 teams.

Lavanderos said his players’ experiences in Seattle keep them hungry to keep growing their skill sets.

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On Tuesday, the Yukon Soccer Association will host its annual Christmas Showcase at the CGC.

The annual match will feature two halves of Total Soccer Excellence Academy vs. Yukon Selects teams. The first half will feature the territory’s top female talent, followed by the men.

The game usually includes returning university talent and draws a good crowd. Game time is 7:15 p.m.