There’s a youth movement afoot with Sooke Celtic that bodes well for the team’s future. Coach Pete McKay said the contributions of three young players, in particular, have made an immediate impact on the soccer team.
Youth team members Joey Adams and Ethan Lecimama, both midfielders, and striker Wyatt Wilson, who train and play with Sooke Celtic, have been “huge” additions to the team.
“They get better every week and really push the veterans,” said McKay, in his second year as coach. “Joey scored in the last game against the best team in the league.”
With four games remaining and a record of five wins, five losses and two draws in Vancouver Island Soccer League Division 3 play, McKay believes the team can go a long way in the playoffs.
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“We’ve qualified for the single-game elimination tournament at the end of February and have played really well against the teams above us,” he noted. “They’ve all been mostly one or two-goal games, so we know we can hang with the top teams. It’s a question of a couple of bounces not going our way or we’d have a better record. We feel we’re a hair away from being a top team. If we can add a couple of good players next year, we’ll be firing on all cylinders.”
The team is always looking to develop and improve, stressed McKay, who devotes a lot of time to youth groups because he believes it’s important to give back to the sport he loves.
“My old coach who everyone calls the Meatgrinder used to say ‘If you’re young and you’re a player, we want you,’” he said with a chuckle.
“We have a lot of fun and do a lot together outside of the games. We have some guys who have played with Sooke soccer for 30 years.”
Sooke Celtic’s next game is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 8 at 5 p.m. at Fred Milne Turf.
You can follow the team on Instagram or Twitter @Sooke Celtic.
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