Both the under-14 boys and girls soccer teams were unlucky to draw powerhouse squads as their opening matches at the BMO National Championships in Moncton, N.B. yesterday.

The boys faced Quebec in their first game, losing out 18-1, with Kieran Halliday scoring the lone goal for the Yukon after getting a break near the end of the game and burying it. Meanwhile, the girls lost to British Columbia 12-0.

The girls lost their second match 4-0 earlier today against Newfoundland and Labrador, conceding two goals in the opening seven minutes.

"Today was a real team effort; all of them played very well,” Soccer Yukon Association (SYA) rep Shayne Fairman told the Star during a phone interview from Moncton.

The boys were taking on B.C. during the interview, and as of the end of the conversation, were down 4-0 after 24 minutes.

"They're holding their own,” Fairman said over the howling wind. "B.C. is a powerful team, probably one of the top three or four squads here.”

The groups are drawn from rankings based on previous national championships.

The boys drew Quebec, B.C. and Prince Edward Island, while the girls drew B.C., Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick.

Both teams break tomorrow before playing their final group stage matches Saturday.

"The way the tournament usually plays out is your toughest games are early,” Fairman said.

All the same, Fairman noted, there have been positives from the Yukon's opening two games.

The girls stepped up their game during a portion of their opening match against B.C., he added.

"The girls had a terrific second half, they held them scoreless for the first half of the second half, about 20 minutes, that was probably their best part of the game.”

Keeper Dominic Korn was also a positive for the boys in their opening game against Quebec.

"Even though it was 18-1, Dominic made a dozen highlight-reel saves,” Fairman said.

Although games against the bigger provinces are out of the way, the competition will be stiff on Saturday, Fairman said.

"It should get, I wouldn't say easier, because all the teams that are here are quite skilled, but they're not going to be facing the powerhouses.”