It was nothing but gold and silver for Bonnyville's girls and boys U12 soccer teams at the Wetlands Tournament this past Saturday.
On the girls side, the Bonnyville Blitz won gold, defeating Bonnyville Thunder in the final match, leaving the Thunder with silver.
The Bonnyville boys U12 team won three straight games to claim gold in the first league tournament of the season.
The tournament took place in Bonnyville with many fans cheering on the players, giving the Bonnyville teams a home field advantage.
“The tournament was a huge success,” said Jeff Ryll, one of the organizers.
He said the competition was great and only warmer weather could have made things better.
The Thunder and Blitz both finished at the top of their respective pools, which left the teams facing off against each other in the final for first and second place.
In the gold medal final, the Blitz took an early lead 2-0 and never looked back.
According to Thunder head coach Dave Cowan, the teams were quite evenly matched.
“Me and Scott (Cameron, Blitz head coach) talked before and said we will be facing each other, and it turned out to be in the final.
“I've got the two best defenders and he has the two best attackers and the attackers won this time.”
He added, “Our girls seemed to really enjoy themselves, and that's the main thing.”
Despite the cool weather on Saturday, the boys team put on a great performance and players were excited about winning gold, according to head coach Rick Dokter.
“When they won gold they all went running out on the field to celebrate. They were really happy.”
The boys had a close match against St. Paul to open the tournament, winning 3-2. They followed that up with a blow-out 13-0 win over Wainwright.
The gold medal game was close at first, but the boys pulled away from Lac La Biche in the end, winning 4-1.
The tournament was held at the fields between Dr. Brosseau and H.E. Bourgoin Schools.
Ryll said he was glad to see all the teams make the trip out and hopes they all return next year.
The boys will play their next league game this Wednesday against Viking. The game will be played in St. Paul.
The girls get back on the field Wednesday as well. In a rematch of the tournament final, the Blitz will take on the Thunder. The game goes at 6 p.m. in Bonnyville.
The next league tournament for the U12 level will be in St. Paul for the Lakeland Cup June 25-26. Winners of this tournament qualify for provincials.
