U14 boys sweep to victory at Heads Up Cup soccer tournament

Not only did Woolwich squad win all five matches in Hillsburgh, they gave up a total of just one goal; coach attributes success to the close-knit relationship

THE WOOLWICH WOLFPACK BARED their teeth and growled at their opponents at a weekend tournament last month.

At the Hillsburgh HEADS UP Cup on May 28 and 29, the boys’ U14 soccer team went undefeated, taking the top spot against teams from Norwest, Caledon, Norval, Lake Simcoe and Oakridge.

In round robin play, the boys beat Norwest 4-1, Caledon 1-0 and Croatia Norval 4-0. Entering the playoff rounds, they beat Lake Simcoe 3-0 and Oakridge 2-0. Woolwich goalkeeper Matt Onuska only let one ball past him into the net over the whole weekend.

One of two assistant coaches, Mike Steers, says the team’s defensive play was strong, leading them to the series of wins.

“There were a couple highlights. I think there were very key saves that our goalie made. Then, I think as well, defensively, our defense was just too good. A lot of teams had a really hard time getting past us,” he said, adding that one of their defensive players was named MVP of the championship game against Oakridge.

“Connor Bradley is one of our key defenders in the back. He is that guy that is very difficult for other teams to get by, along with his other defense teammates in the back. He kind of leads our team from the back of the field. He is also our leader off the field as well. He is the root of the team. I don’t think anyone would disagree.”

In part, Steers credits the overwhelming sense of camaraderie between the boys, both on and off the soccer pitch, for their continued success in tournaments and regular season play.

“As always, we always make time as a group to sit around to talk and kibbutz, and even play a bit of softball in our spare time. They are a tight bunch. They are a close-knit group,” he said, adding that some of the boys play winter sports together as well. “We are extremely proud of them. They are a group of guys that act as a team. This team happens to play mostly hockey in the winter, and they get together every year and create this soccer team. They played as a team, they played together, and that is what sets us apart. They played together, and I believe that is what our victory was routed in – that approach. There are other teams that aren’t like that.”

The team has done reasonably well in the regular season too, with one win, one loss and one tie. They are now looking ahead to their next tournament next month in Cambridge, and playing host in August to teams from around the province on Elmira soccer fields. Their goal is to take on the best the league has.

“Next up for us in terms of our league play is to try and take on some of the top teams and try to get some wins against them. That is what this tournament has set us up for - to compete with the top teams in our league,” he said.

To learn more about the Woolwich Wolfpack and the U14 boys’ team, visit their website at www.woolwichyouthsoccer.com.