Strikers U-11 team caps dream season with tourney win
The dream season for the Sandpoint Strikers U-11 boys soccer team ended last weekend the best possible way as they were crowned champions at the Kalispell tournament.
The team, coached by Steve Meyer and David Keyes, began last week on a roll.
On Wednesday, the Strikers faced the dreaded Sting for the league championship. The Strikers had never beaten the Sting and had lost a controversial 1-0 game in the Sting tournament two weeks ago.
Nathan Schwartz, Ashland Dills and Nicky Myers each scored and the defense led by Mathew Burgstahler, Hunter King and goalie Austin Keyes shut down a potent offense to defeat the Sting, 3-1.
The Strikers finished the Northwest League undefeated with Keyes and the defense earning a reputation as the toughest defense in the Northwest.
Fresh from that victory, the team headed to the Kalispell tournament to face the best teams in Montana, Canada and North Idaho.
In the first game Saturday, the Strikers faced the Strikers from Missoula. Joab Logan scored a hat trick, Keyes scored two goals, Zach Couch, Christian Cook, Myers, Robert Harrison and Paul Meyer all scored in a 10-1 rout.
Harrison and Meyer scored their first goals as Strikers and everyone of the players scored at least one goal this season, said coach Meyer.
In the second game of the tournament, the Strikers faced Missoula FC. Missoula FC came into the tournament undefeated and the highest seed in the bracket.
The defensive wall of King, Burgstahler and Schwartz were up to the challenge and did their best to keep up with a very fast Missoula offense.
Couch scored a goal in the first half to put the Strikers up 1-0. Keyes had another shutout half in goal. Missoula FC responded with a goal in the second half on a PK. Missoula then scored again to go up 2-1 with only a few minutes left.
With the clock running down Keyes raced down the center of the field and lifted a shot in from about 30 yards out to tie the game. The game ended 2-2.
On Sunday morning, the Strikers ended pool play with a 6-0 dispatching of the Lakeland Nighthawks. The Striker defense was dominating. Couch and Cook each scored two goals while Keyes and Logan scored one apiece.
In the championship game against the Great Falls Thunderbolts, the team was not to be denied. Cook scored three goals, Logan scored one and Myers scored one to cruise to a 4-1 victory.
As with every game this season, the defensive toughness of the team "set the table" for victory, coach Meyer said.
"This is a great bunch of young men and deserved to win the league and tournament," he said. "They know that teams win soccer games and that teams are only as good as the players."
The Strikers finished the season with a 15-4-2 record.
Leading scorers on the team were: Keyes and Logan, 16; Couch and Cook, 13. Assist leaders were Logan, 17; Couch, 14 and Keyes and Carrouthers with seven apiece.