The Burnaby Selects overcame the Coastal Cup champions and an opening day defeat at the under-13 boys' provincial A championship to win their first B.C. soccer title.
The Selects avenged an earlier 2-1 loss to the Coquitlam Metro-Ford Millenium in the pool opener in Kamloops on July 5, upending the TriCity club 6-1 in the provincial final Sunday.
"Everyone wanted it. It was wonderful," said Burnaby assistant coach Robert Kattler. "We didn't know how it would go after that first loss. but after we beat Richmond. - Then the boys were just chomping at the bit to play Coquitlam again. It was cool."
Abo Ghaus tallied three goals in the provincial final win over Metro-Ford. Pat Falcone, Matteo DiGiovanni and Tak Tasaka scored the other three markers for Burnaby.
Alan Camacho-Soto tallied the game-winning goal in the pivotal win over Richmond on the Saturday that put Burnaby through to the provincial final.
Richmond scored first in the match, but Ghaus rallied the Selects with the tying goal.
Burnaby keeper Aleksandar Kalajdzic, who also posted a shutout in the Selects' earlier 5-0 win over Kamloops, held onto the victory over Richmond with a key save off a penalty kick late in the game.
Tyler Kattler and DiGiovanni contributed at midfield, forward and defensive positions. Isaac Perkins and Jimmy Chiou were solid in defence. Cristiano Basso and Anthony Prpic logged significant minutes solidifying the Burnaby back line.
Devon Sandhu, Todor Baljak and Coby Juni also contributed to the win.
In regular season play, Burnaby won the u-13A division, posting a record of 13-1-5 in the Metro league. Coquitlam Metro-Ford topped the u-13B group with a 14-2-3 record.
In May, the Selects lost the Coastal A Cup final on penalty kicks to Richmond United.
The u-18 Burnaby Selects were stymied for a second time by Coastal Cup finalist Central City Pegasus.
Semifinal losers to the Surrey club in May, Burnaby lost 2-1 to CCB in the provincial final.
