Port Hardy locals Seth Hanuse and Jaylon Grenier both scored three goals during the Mayor’s Cup soccer tournament, helping lead the Marine Harvest Upper Island Riptide U18 boys to four straight victories.
The tournament was held in Surrey, March 17-18, and overall Marine Harvest Upper Island Riptide U18 boys scored 18 goals in four games. They played high calibre teams, defeating Kelowna 1-0, Vancouver Whitecaps FC 8-0, Burnaby 5-0 and Surrey 4-0, bringing home gold medals and the Cup.
“The lads were flying; strong in tackles, quick in the counter attack, organized and playing without fear in the attacking third. It was awesome to watch. The referee we had for both games on the Sunday was an ex-professional from Italy. He was extremely complimentary of the lads, our playing style and the program. He was blown away by this degree of quality in a “metro” program,” said Coach Stephen Hall. “Our season was very successful. It’s not always easy at this age as the lads have so many other commitments, but when the chips were down they trained hard and competed in every match. I couldn’t be prouder! I have bragged about these lads all year, not just their abilities, but their attitudes. They got along very well, were very respectful, and open to learning. We had such fun on the bench this year as their character traits started to shine through.”
- Gazette staff
