Local Strikers team finishes season undefeated in WIPL
The 2014 Sandpoint Strikers boys' soccer team is all smiles after another successful season. Back row, from left are assistant coach Kelly Balch, Jonah Baroni, Anders Budensiek, Finnley Stebbins, Jack Balch, Kyren Nguyen, Eric Jansson, Summit Albright and head coach JP Cardin. Bottom row, from left are Elijah Kellogg, Wade McCoy, Miles Cardin and Easton Chartrey. Not pictured is Dennis McLeish IV.
(Courtesy Photo)
This fall, the 2014 Sandpoint Strikers boys soccer team established themselves as one of the top U11 teams in the region after dominating the Washington Inland Premier League (WIPL), outscoring opponents 58-13 and compiling a 9-0-1 record against teams from Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and Yakima.
The boys competed in the Washington Inland Select League (WISL) this past spring, and after excelling in that league, they made the move to the WIPL for more of a challenge. In addition to the WIPL, the team also entered three tournaments and competed in the most challenging brackets offered at each contest. Overall, they took home one second-place finish and won two championships. The most recent championship win came at the Glacier Cup in Whitefish, Mont., where the boys defeated the 2014 Missoula Surf, one of the top-ranked teams in Montana, 3-2 in the finals.
“We have a great group of boys," head coach J.P. Cardin said. "They have completely bought into a system and embraced true team play. Every player on our team plays a huge role in our success. It all starts at every practice and shows up when its game time. They are truly playing quality soccer, which is fun to watch and be a part of."
Across all tournaments and regular season matches, the team officially finished the fall season with a record of 19-2-2, besting teams from all over Idaho, Washington, and Montana.
"Sandpoint is such a great soccer community," Cardin said. "The talent that comes out of this little town, from this Strikers club all the way up through our high school team, continues to impress me. It is always fun to hear people at tournaments in Washington, Montana or Canada saying, ‘you have to watch out for that Sandpoint team.'”
The Sandpoint Strikers 2025 spring season is scheduled to start in March. Until then, many of the 2014 Sandpoint Strikers boys will continue to train with the Strikers indoor program over the winter while also competing on the same Schweitzer Alpine Race School (SARS) ski race team.