It was fitting that on the final weekend of Merritt Youth Soccer Association action, spectators were treated to some thrilling matches in the older divisions as teams battled it out for playoff supremacy.
None were closer than the trio of games played Saturday afternoon to decide the Grade 8-plus division. All season, Team Red and Team Black have had no one else to play but each other, and the rivalry has become an intense one. Red has generally held the upper hand, winning seven of their nine previous encounters, but Black was not about to roll over and concede anything on the final day.
In a best-of-three mini-playoff, games one and two both ended in ties: 3-3 and then 4-4. Goal scorers for Red were Brock Moffatt (3), Ethan Gregg (2), Nick Willey and Nema Shokraee, while Black tallies were by Zach Grip (3), Tanveer Bansi (3) and Harvir Natt.
In the third-and-deciding playoff game, Team Black was not to be denied. With eight of the nine goals coming in a furious final 15 minutes of play, Team Black emerged victorious 6-3. Scoring for the winning team were Bansi (with his second hat trick of the day), Austin Hawkins (2) and Grip. Replying for Red was Moffatt with his second three-goal performance of the afternoon and the natural hat trick.
In Grade 6/7 playoff finals, the Green Goblins got two goals from Cole Jackson and one each by Allison Moore and Hailey Nelson to edge the Orange Oreos 4-2 in the battle for the division title. Answering for the Oreos were Sajjin Lali and Sebastien Myram.
In the Grade 6/7 battle for third place, a last-minute goal by Cody Patterson allowed the Blue Smurfs to squeeze by the Black Bongos 2-1. McKenna Hack-Mortimer had the other Smurf goal, while Zach Dixon was the lone scorer for the Bongos.
Finally, in Grade 4/5 play, it was the White Santos winning the division with a decisive 9-2 victory over the All-Blacks, while the Blues Clues toppled the Yellow Fighting Hornets 7-1 in the consolation final. Scoring details were not provided.
All photos by Ian Webster/Herald.
