Pend Oreille Cup hits Sandpoint this weekend

SANDPOINT — It’s that time of year again soccer fans. Beginning Friday night and stretching through Sunday evening, Sandpoint will host the Pend Oreille Cup put on by the Sandpoint Strikers.

For 33 years running, teams from throughout the Inland Northwest have come to Sandpoint to test themselves ahead of their fall league schedules.

The town expects roughly 1,000 visiting families, with all hotels likely booked, and all restaurants hopefully filled, as a record 130 teams compete across age groups ranging from under-8 to under-14.

Sandpoint has always been a soccer-crazed town but this year has seen a rise in numbers across the board, as the Strikers Soccer Camp shattered old numbers with more than 210 young players signing up.  

As the Pend Oreille Cup brings record numbers, local residents should look forward to dropping by the tournament headquarters, Travers Sports Complex, to support young soccer players as six fields will operate simultaneously.  

Bring your loose change, as the Ponderay Police Department has dropped off its radar speed trailer to clock the most powerful shot across multiple age groups. Typically, the radar is used to slow cars down in traffic situations but this weekend is all about pushing it to the next level for soccer players, soccer fans, and the Sandpoint community alike.