PORT HARDY—A wild spring soccer season came to a fitting close Sunday when the final game of the annual Port Hardy Youth Soccer tournament went down to a shootout that required nine rounds to settle.
A goal by Caroline Walkus finally sealed the Port Hardy Outlaws' victory over Port McNeill's Kick Ass in the girls U-15 final at Port Hardy Secondary School.
The final was the second to require a shootout, following an intramural U-12 boys championship between a pair of Port McNeill entries. The Black Bandits upended the Frostbite, who also finished second in last month's Mud Bowl tournament in Port McNeill following a shootout loss.
The U-18 mixed title went to Port Hardy United, which topped Port McNeill.
A wild U-15 boys championship went to Alert Bay, which topped the Port McNeill Tunnel Snakes.
The U-12 girls title went to Port Hardy's Strikers, who downed Port McNeill.
The tourney also featured non-playoff competition from the tot through the U-10 age groups, and utilized fields at PHSS, Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw School, Eagle View Elementary and Robert Scott Elementary.