Two Yukon Strikers teams received rude welcomes to their respective national championships yesterday.

The U-14 boys dropped their opening game 15-0 to Calgary Foothills SC in Charlottetown, while the territory’s U-16 girls team was dealt a 10-0 loss by the Calgary Southwest United Premiers in Mount Pearl, Nfld.

The U-14 boys fell to 0-2 this morning with a 4-1 loss to host P.E.I. with 13-year-old Felix Maltais scoring late to get the Yukon on the board.

The female Strikers were playing their second game against Manitoba’s FC Northwest at press time.

U-14 coach Dale Cheeseman said his players know how to put these games in perspective.

“Coming off the field, their heads were up,” he said today. “Putting the score aside, they were pretty happy individually with their play on the field. It’s probably harder on the coaches than it is on the players.”

Last year, the boys lost 18-0 to the same Alberta team. Rees Goertzen sniped six goals in yesterday’s rematch, with John Ray Gorpuz and Koen Schnoffner adding hat tricks for Alberta.

Starting goalkeeper Carl Knickle took the brunt of the damage, before being replaced late in the game by backup Seth Carey. Carey also started against P.E.I.

“We had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen with the score,” Cheeseman admitted. “We set up to play a defensive game and did 25 per cent better this year. It was a tough go.”

Facing the Winsloe Charlottetown Royals today, the Yukon simply got off to a slow start.

“We didn’t start off with all pistons firing,” Cheeseman admitted.

“They went on the field positive and strong, thinking we had a good chance of tying or winning the game ... but getting first to the ball was pretty tough for our guys.

“You get first to the ball and you win the ball, you’re going to win the game, and we didn’t quite win all the balls in the air, and they counter-attacked pretty good.”

Overall, Cheeseman said his troops are playing well and have managed to stay positive despite the losses.

His club includes a core of seven returning players.

Meanwhile in Newfoundland, a high-octane Alberta offence did in the Yukon girls yesterday.

Gabriella Short pounded in four goals, while six others added singles in Alberta’s dominating 10-0 win.

U-16 coach Jake Hanson could not be reached for comment today.

The decision to send a team to the U-16 championships was made in February, said Yukon Soccer Association head coach John MacPhail.

“We had the numbers to do it and Jake wanted to take a U-16 team,” MacPhail explained. “The U-14 teams usually have the numbers; sometimes with U-16 teams we struggled to get enough kids out.”

The decision not to send a U-14 girls squad to the P.E.I. capital was also made in February, based on projected numbers.

Each fall, the Canada Soccer Sport Chek National Championships brings together the best amateur teams in the country for a series of week-long tournaments.

“It’s an opportunity for all involved to experience new cultures and establish and strengthen friendships,” Canada Soccer president Victor Montagliani said in a press release.