U15 Boys Win District Gold

It has been quite a season for the RCYSC New Westminster Royals U15 Boys soccer team.

After starting the season with 2 wins, 7 losses and a tie in their first 10 games, the "Royals" finished strong, posting 1 loss and 5 wins during cup play over the second half of their season. The Royals rode this 5 game winning streak into the Cup Finals, leaving them tied in points for first place, but way ahead in number of goals scored.

The Cup Final game against Golden Ears United Kaos was played in South Aldergrove Park on Saturday, March 7th, under sunny skies, with the mercury hovering just above freezing. The game was further complicated by strong winds, gusting at times up to 40 kph. A tremendous number of family members braved the cold weather and distance to the game, to support the Royals.

The first goal of the game, scored by Royals forward Ivan Biriukov, came in the first minute of play. The Kaos answered quickly, scoring their only goal on stalwart Royals goalie, Peter Stankiewicz, in the fourth minute of play. The two teams battled through the rest of the game, with each team showcasing strong defensive play, and brilliant goalkeeping.

The Royals finally put the winning goal past the Kaos goalie, when Rafael Rosas found the back of the net with just 4 minutes left in regulation time.

This final win of their season netted the Royals a well-deserved gold medal in the District 5 Championships.

The Royals are from left to right:
Back row – Assistant Coach Theresa Roper ; Derek Watt; Ivan Biriukov; Kenneth Perez; Minho Shin; Russ Hamilton; Devon Graham; Schuyler Salm; Andres Puentes; Quinn Daniele and Coach Genio Daniele
Bottom row – Alex Skiba; Rafael Rosas; Peter Stankiewicz; Daniel Lamont; Jorge Colin;