Xander Gerritsen doesn’t always play goal for under-12 Northern Savings Credit Union’s soccer squad.
In fact, usually it’s Dominic Strand. But Strand broke a finger on his right hand after a rogue cleat squashed the tip of one of his digits earlier in the season, so Gerritsen took over for his second stint between the posts.
And his teammates made sure he picked up the win.
A nine-goal outburst from Northern Savings paced the side to a victory against 3rd Ave. Car Wash.
Curtis Swan produced many of the highlights for the team in white, and Strand even notched one himself, playing forward while his injured hand recovered.
“Hopefully we go on a winning streak,” said Gerritsen after the victory, attributing the dry and sunny conditions to part of his success in goal.
The closest 3rd. Ave came to tying the affair was when Ferryn Collins and Bradley Larose converted on their third goal, making the score at that point 5-3.
Northern Savings was depleted in numbers and fielded seven players with no substitutions, plus Gerritsen, but still managed to pull out the win.
“Sometimes [it’s hard to stay focused when the play is mostly in the opponents’ zone],” said Gerritsen.
“I like playing goalie and defence best. Goalie you get to touch the ball with your hands, and [with] defence, you usually get these huge kicks.”
A number of players in the league had just returned from action in Kamloops participating in the Slurpee Cup on the weekend, including Strand and Larose. The team won two games and lost two games while there.
On Saturday and Sunday, a number of athletes travelled to Terrace to see if they could crack the soccer squad for the B.C. Summer Games in Nanaimo this July. The tryouts had open invitations, very similar to the open atmosphere the Prince Rupert Youth Soccer select teams play with.
A number of players, including Rupert’s Sherangad Sahai, who participated in the Slurpee Cup, attended and will find out if they made the team in the coming weeks.