They left it late – but left with gold.
The Gorge U17 boys clawed back in stoppage time and finished the job in penalties to claim the B-Cup provincial championship Sunday, July 13 in Kamloops.
Down 1-0 in the final against Langley, Gorge found an equalizer in the 95th minute when Rodrigo Ahumada buried a loose ball in the box. That moment sent the game to penalties, where goalkeeper Kenny Freund made two key saves and Gorge converted all four of their spot kicks to seal a 1-1 (4-2) victory.
“It was a really emotional goal,” said team manager Sandy Hemstock. “Rodrigo never gave up. He was laser-focused all game, all tournament. That moment just showed how much belief the boys had.”
It capped a dominant run for Gorge, who didn’t concede a single goal through the group stage.
They opened with a 4-0 win over Sunshine Coast, followed that with a 2-0 win over Coquitlam, and finished pool play with a 3-0 victory against Vernon.
“They were focused and very committed,” Hemstock said. “This was their third year at provincials, and I think they knew what it took. Their fitness and preparation were at a really high level.”
The group’s regular season wasn’t straightforward either.
With no independent U17 Tier 3 league in Greater Victoria, they competed in a mixed division with U17 and U18 Tier 2 and Tier 3 teams.
“That kind of competition helped prepare them,” Hemstock said. “They were used to playing older and stronger teams.”
In the final, Gorge fell behind in the 11th minute but stayed composed.
Freund – a year younger than most of the team and new to the group this season – came up huge in the shootout, reading shooters perfectly and stopping two of Langley’s attempts.
“Kenny was just extraordinary,” Hemstock said. “It was his first time at provincials and he was so composed. He communicated so well with the backline. He really grew into a leader.”
Team captains Aidan Inglis and August Kirby were key figures throughout the tournament, with Inglis burying the clinching penalty.
“They both brought the team together – in warmups, in halftime talks, on the bench,” Hemstock said. “Having two strong leaders like that really helped cement the group.”
Gorge’s triumph was part of a strong showing by Greater Victoria clubs over two weeks of provincial competition in Kamloops.
In B-Cup action, Saanich Fusion FC also brought home gold in the U14 girls division.
At the A-Cup the weekend prior, Juan de Fuca earned bronze in U18 boys and U16 boys, Saanich Fusion took silver in U17 and U15 boys, Bays Highlanders earned silver in U14 boys, and Gorge claimed bronze in that same group. On the girls’ side, Lakehill FC grabbed silver in U17 and bronze in U16.
With the season now wrapped, the future of the Gorge U17 squad is uncertain due to age-level transitions and limited league options – but Hemstock hopes the group sticks together.
“It’s a really special group of young men,” she said. “They set this goal at the start of the season, and thanks to the dedication of their coach Fernando Paniagua and the effort they put in all year, they achieved something incredible.”
