North Inverness United defeated Chester 3-1 on Sunday in Sydney to win the Soccer Nova Scotia U13 B championship. Members of the team include, from left: (front) Devin Walker, Nole Romard, Lincoln MacDonald, Eli LeBlanc, Alex Dan MacDonnell, Mac MacLellan, Xavier Brison, Ally Hart, Ainslea Hart; (back) coach Kaycee Timmons, Brogan Fitzgerald, Rory Poirier, Luc Muise, Sam Poirier, Leo Sogne, Reece Timmons, Rossi MacKinnon, Brydan MacLean, Ewan Brown, Chloe Fiset, Lainie Poirier, coach Brett Romard.
September 4, 2024
-by Bill Dunphy
Friends first, iron-clad defence second, score on your chances third.
A winning combination for most sports teams, it was particularly so for North Inverness United on the weekend in winning the Nova Scotia U13 B soccer championship.
Played at the Ness Timmons field in Sydney, NIUSA claimed the crown with a 3-1 win over Chester in Sunday’s championship game.
Brett Romard, who coaches the team with Kaycee Timmons, said it was a proud moment for them.
“Being from a rural small town getting enough kids together from four different communities, to have enough players to make a team, and see them mold together to become a team and, most importantly, friends is definitely a memory I won’t forget,” said Romard.
With a win and a tie in the round-robin, North Inverness finished first in their pool and faced Dartmouth (second in their pool) in Sunday’s semifinal.
Down 1-0 at the half, Nole Romard scored 12 minutes in to tie it and Lincoln MacDonald capitalized on a penalty kick in the final 10 minutes to take a 2-1 lead, with the defence shutting it down for the win.
North Inverness advanced to the final against Chester, a team they played to a 2-2 draw on Saturday.
Once again, the team was down 1-0 at the half.
“We got them settled down, letting them know we wore Chester down and we still had a half with the wind in our favour,” Romard said.
“We said they might be bigger, faster, and stronger, but no one in this provincial tournament has more heart than them. They got very quiet, looked at each other, then looked at the ground and we knew it was game on from there on. They got very focussed and their legs did not stop moving.”
MacDonald struck first for United, converting a cross from Mac MacLellan. MacDonald scored again 10 minutes later on a well-placed free kick from outside the 18-yard box. And with 12 minutes left in the game, Alex Dan MacDonnell capitalized on a corner kick by MacLellan.
“We went into the year not knowing what to expect but quickly learned that these kids were there to stick up for each other. They built a bond quicker then I could have imagined,” said Romard.
“This small mighty co-ed team of warriors – the only co-ed team in the tournament – went into provincials undefeated in regular season play,” said Romard, noting that the team was also Cape Breton Cup winners.
In the two round-robin games, Nole Romard and Lincoln MacDonald each scored in the 2-2 back-and-forth tie with Chester.
In the opening match, North Inverness dismantled Yarmouth 7-2 after going down 1-0. Brogan Fitzgerald scored back-to-back goals on crosses by Chloe Fiset and MacLellan to prime the United pump, followed by Rossi MacKinnon with a pair and singles by Romard and MacDonald.
“The NIUSA defence did not give up any easy goals all weekend. They were the strongest defence on the island and they proved they can play with anyone in the province,” said Romard.
“I hope the kids had a great year, not just in provincials, but that they remember all the games they were part of that created great memories forever. Thank you to all.”
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