Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The Steamboat Springs en­­­try into the U-18 division of the Steamboat Mountain Soccer Tournament, which wrapped up Sunday afternoon in Steamboat Springs, didn’t accept second place lightly.

The team’s players, still exhausted from a bitterly fought 1-0 loss to Utah-based Red Hot FC, barely moved when first offered their second-place medals. Then they only reluctantly gathered together to pose for a photo with the awards.

It didn’t take much longer before the team was back to laughing, however, putting its run in perspective.

“It was a good weekend,” Johnathon Ricker said. “We’ve been together for a couple years now, and we always have fun. I wish it hadn’t ended like this, but it was still good.”

Red Hot FC got the advantage in the game thanks to a penalty kick Pedro Lozano hammered home in the first half.

During an evenly played second half, neither team converted any opportunities to score, and Steamboat came up agonizingly short on the chances it did get.

Steamboat’s Andrew White broke wide open with just the goalkeeper to beat but shot high midway through the second half. A few minutes later, Connor Garrecht-Connelly missed just high, as well, after beating his defender by a step to open up an opportunity from 20 yards.

“I tried to get it but got a little too far under it,” Garrecht-Connelly said.

Red Hot FC’s win capped a dominating weekend in which it scored 11 goals and gave up just one.

Steamboat, too, finished off a strong tournament. It won its other game Sunday, defeating Trebol Express, 1-0.

“It was fun in the end,” Garrecht-Connelly said. “It’s the game of soccer. The whole weekend was a blast.”

Steamboat Mountain Soccer Tournament results from Sunday

Boys U-10

(Champion decided by round robin scoring)

1st place — Eagle Talons United

2nd place — Steamboat White

Boys U-11

Consolation round

Broomfield Blast (3rd Flight A) 0, Colorado Ice Blue (3rd Flight B) 1

Semifinals

Cougars 5, Colorado United Blue 0

Colorado Rush A1 2, Steamboat FC Navy 3

Finals

Cougars 7, Steamboat FC Navy 1

Boys U-12

Finals

Colorado Ice Boys White 1, Westminster AFC Samba 2

Boys U-13

Finals

Avalanche 2, Edge White 1

Boys U-14

(Champion decided by round robin scoring)

1st place — Arsenal Southwest

2nd place — Colorado Storm Black

Boys U-16

Finals

Swoosh 1, Club United U-16 Boys 2

Boys U-18

Consolation round

Buffalo Blast 4, Edge U-17 Boys Black 4

Semifinals

RedHot FC 3, Storm White 0

Steamboat Springs Futbol Club 1, Trebol Express 0

Finals

Steamboat Springs Futbol Club 0, RedHot FC 1

GIrls U-19

(Champion decided by round robin scoring)

1st place — Real Fury

2nd place — Fireballs

Girls U-11

Finals

Trebol White 11G 1, Blast U-11 Girls White 0

Girls U-12

Finals

Blast 98 G White 2, RMSA Cougars 1

Girls U-13

Finals

Colorado Ice White 2, Rush Hour 0

Girls U-14

Semifinals

JOGA 0, RMSA Cougars 1

Lakers 6, Colorado Storm Girls 96 Blue 0

Finals

Lakers 2, RMSA Cougars 1

Girls U-16

Semifinals

CO Rush Chargers 1, Riverside Renegades 93-94, 1 (Riverside Renegades won 4-2 in penalty kicks)

Colorado Storm North 1, Riverside Renegades Red 0

Finals

Colorado Storm North 0, Riverside Renegades 93-94 1

Girls U-18

Finals

Tonka Dynasty 0, Broomfield Blast Girls 93 Blue 3