Consistent competitive play powered the U14 Yukon Strikers boys to a 10th overall finish at nationals.

Coach Jake Hanson said his club – made up of players born between 2001 to 2003 – will be grouped in the same pool as the provincial winners from British Columbia and Nova Scotia at next year’s national tournament in Moncton, N.B.

“The week’s performance from our boys was consistent and competitive,” Hanson said of his club’s record of 1-3-1 in St. John’s, N.L.

With four goals for, and just nine against, the young squad achieved the best goal differential in Yukon history for a team at nationals, said Hanson.

The team lost twice by a single goal, earned a draw and a hard-fought win, alongside a 4-0 tournament-opening loss to powerhouse Alberta.

Nine of the boys are eligible to return to next year’s Sport Chek National Club Championships, including five starters, the coach said.

He also noted that two of the team’s goal scorers – Ashton Bryant and Joe Hanson – were just 12 years old, easily two of the youngest players to ever tally at a national event.

“Particularly of note were performances from team captain and centreback Ewan Halliday and goalkeeper Seth Carey,” Hanson said.

The U14 boys weren’t the only Yukon club making waves outside the territory last weekend.

The Strikers U12 girls team was busy mining gold in the U13 Div. 3 of the North Shore Girls Soccer Club’s 29th annual Thanksgiving tournament in Vancouver.

The club won three straight round robin games, propelling them into Monday’s final, which they won 3-2 over the North Shore’s Seawolves on a late goal by Abby Rich.

“It was just on the verge of going into extra time,” said coach Arnold Hedstrom.

“Abby scored that goal in a scramble in the box. ... She just plowed through. There must’ve been 17 players in the box.”

The team beat each of the host clubs in pool play: 3-0 over the Seawolves, 6-3 over the Panthers and 8-1 over the Ravens.

“Apart from one team, the scores were relatively close,” said Hedstrom of the choice to play Div. 3.

“We didn’t want to risk overwhelming our developing players. Our newer players needed to have a competition that worked for them.”

Taliya Lindley led the 17-member team with seven goals in four games, followed by Sara Charlton with five, and Rich with four.

A U12 Yukon boys team also took in a tournament in Burnaby over the weekend, earning a silver medal in the U14 bronze division at the Mini Gobbler Soccer Fest despite going winless in all four contests.

“Most of our players were 10 and 11 years old and we played in a U14 division,” said coach Kurt Bringsli. “But every other coach commented that our team was the most skilled. We had possession of the ball for the majority of the games, but got beat in size and speed.”