FINAL TUNE-UP – From left, Tyra Jones, Lara Herry-Saint Onge and Charlotte Van Randen compete in a friendly game Monday at Porter Creek Secondary School. The territory will send three teams to nationals next week.

Three Yukon teams bound for soccer nationals Members of the Yukon Strikers are readying for the biggest challenge of their young careers next week. By Marcel Vander Wier on October 1, 2015

Members of the Yukon Strikers are readying for the biggest challenge of their young careers next week.

Two U14 teams will head to St. Johns, N.L., for the national club soccer championships, while the territory’s U16 girls team is bound for Surrey, B.C.

The three clubs gathered Monday night at Porter Creek Secondary School for a final tune-up game and pep rally.

The U14 boys squad heading to Newfoundland is an intriguing one, as it features members of the Yukon Junior Selects squad that has trained together for several years.

The lion’s share of the roster will return to the U14 nationals again next season.

“We wanted to give the boys the opportunity to play at the highest standard, being mindful of the fact that by going a year early, we would be better prepared for the 2016 nationals,” said coach Jake Hanson.

The young team will be bolstered with eight older boys born in 2001, but will also feature four players from the 2003 age group.

The U14 boys roster is made up of Ashton Bryant, Seth Carey, Jake Charlton, Joseph Coyne, Rhys Faragher, Austin Franks, Ewan Halliday, Joe Hanson, Ole Heath, Ben Kishchuk, Andreas Lavenderos, Felix Maltais, Aaron Rich, Andrew Roberts, Jason Sealy, Ben Shier and Dawson Weir.

Coach Hanson said he isn’t sure what to expect in terms of results, but believes the team could surprise.

“(Coach) Vic (Lavenderos) and I are very excited to be able to take a team to represent the Yukon that we feel is going to be very competitive.”

The Canadian Soccer Association Sport Check National Club Championships will be held Oct. 7 to 12.

Through eight competitions in four venues, nationals will feature more than 2,700 players, staff and officials.

Members of the U16 girls team bound for Surrey are Ava Cairns-Locke, Jewel Davies, Jayden Demchuk, Alice Frost-Hanberg, Georgia Gaw, Lara Herry-Saint Onge, Tyra Jones, Kathleen Lanigan, Sam Ng, Sarah Nyland, Bryn Peterson, Teresa Procee and Alizee Salesse.

Coach Ashley Hill said the majority of this team competed at the Western Canada Summer Games in August.

“I want them to see where they match up on a personal level,” she said of her expectations for her squad.

“My main message is we have to respect our opponents. ... These are the best teams in Canada. We have to play hard. We can’t fold,” Hill said.

“Here, these girls are used to being the top dogs, but it will be good for them to see what the next level is like.”

Finally, the U14 girls team – profiled in a Star article last month – includes Maren Bilsky, Cassidy Cairns, Maya Cairns-Locke, Maggie Fekete, Kacie Hastings, Hannah Jacobs, Hazel Lewis, Jenika Lindley, Mary Londero, Brooklyn Massie, Aliyah Nyland, Meghan Pennington, Bella Roy-Gelinas, Alyssa Rusnak, Bayly Scoffin, Dana Sellars, Ainslie Spence, Anna Tolgyesi, Peyton Twardochleb, Amy Vanderkley and Charlotte Van Randen.