Despite a very rainy start, the 30th annual Squamish Soccerfest seemed to go off without a hitch last weekend.
Seventy-two teams from across the province hit the wet and soggy pitch early Saturday (April 17) morning at Brennan Park fields and played until the sun set on the dry and warm Sunday (April 18) evening.
"Everything went fine," said Squamish Soccer Association president Jose Oreamuno.
"Excellent tournament."
In memory of former longtime Squamish Soccer Association referee Bobby Sukhdave Mahnger, who recently succumbed to cancer, the association created a memorial trophy for best tournament official.
Mahnger's family presented Raj Somra with the Mahnger trophy for his excellence as a tournament official, as voted by the tournament participating teams.
The Muthas won the Mark Burrit sportsmanship award.
Local women's teams earned a few top three finishes with the women's Quest University team leading the way with a first place finish in the most competitive women's open category.
The women's Quest team successfully defended their title winning against SBAA Ajax who finished in second place. Jordan's Girls - formed in memory of Squamish's Jordan Neumann who died at the age of 20 in January after battling brain cancer won third place in open category.
The GFC Surrey Nuggets earned a first place finish beating out the Meralomas B team. Bombastic FC took third in the women's open recreational category.
In the women's over 30 category, first place was nabbed by Westside Shooters followed by a second place finish for Comox Legends and a third place finish for Squamish Nation.
Wickham Rebels won the women's over 30 recreational category while Metroford Celtics and Storm grabbed second and third respectively.
In the men's categories, first place was nabbed by Van United in the men's open category, while second was taken by Norvan and East Van Socceroos took third.
Fresh is Best finished in first place in the men's over 30 category, with Coogars taking second and United Nation winning third place.
Cliff Avenue United won top spot in the men's over 40 category, second was nabbed by Vartek and third was swooped up by the Serbian White Eagles.
Oreamuno said the association would love to expand the size of the tournament but can't because of a lack of community fields.
"We can't have more," he said.
"But we're thinking about the over 50 [category], so it's a possibility."
If the association created an over 50 category for the next season the added games could be held at local school soccer fields.
"We never want to change in the future from Brennan Park but if we need to because we don't have more fields and more players want to, maybe we will go there."
Avid Squamish area soccer players who want to stay in shape during the summer months can do so by joining the co-ed summer league. For more information on the recreational league visit squamishsoccerassociation.com or contact Oreamuno at oseoreamuno@hotmail.com.
Registration for the 2011 Squamish Soccerfest starts in February 2011.
