The Vaughan Azzurri Battlecats are crowned the new Ontario Indoor Cup 2013 Champions!!! Congratulations boys, we are so proud of you! If you were not there for the final 4 teams that did battle for this prestigious title, read below and get a sense of what happened over the February 9-10 weekend. Click here for results from the entire weekend.
Among the eight 2013 Provincial Indoor Champions, in divisions from Under 13 to Under 18 Boys and Girls, teams from the Peel Halton Soccer Association took home 4 of those trophies and teams from York Region Soccer Association took home the other 4 of those trophies. There were two Clubs in Ontario that collected more than one Indoor Cup this year. The Clubs were Vaughan Soccer Club in the Under 16 Girls division and the Under 13 Boys division, and Brams United Girls Soccer Club in the Under 14 Girls and Under 13 Girls divisions. Burlington Youth Soccer Club, Aurora Youth Soccer Club, Markham Soccer Club and North Mississauga Soccer Club each captured one title.
Here's how our BATTLECATS did last weekend, in the round of the final 4:
In the first U13 Boys Semi-Final, the Vaughan Battlecats defeated the Markham Lightning. In a game which remained close into the closing minutes, Vaughan managed to get out in front through goals from Nathaniel Minott and Zakaria Abdi. Though Markham fought hard to get on the scoreboard and keep their hope of advancing alive, they met their match in Vaughan’s solid defense.
Also hoping to cash their ticket into the final were Brampton East FC and Etobicoke Energy 2000. Brampton came out firing and took the lead only one minute into play when Afram Gorgees beat the keeper. Play would settle down for a good while. However, later in the half, Brampton got on a run with 3 goals within 7 minutes. Alexander Dartey and a brace from Jalen Allen saw the team take a comfortable lead into halftime. The 2nd half yielded one more goal from Brampton’s Bradley Ogbevuon. Both teams were content keeping the score as it stood to close out the game.
The deserved contestants in the Under 13 Boys Final were the Vaughan Battlecats and Brampton East FC. This game really was one of two halves. Jalen Campbell’s great effort half way through the first saw his team gain an early lead. Campbell doubled Brampton’s lead shortly afterward on a brilliant combination, giving him his 4th goal of the Final Round. Brampton would go into the half up 2-0. Late in a second half, a 2 on 1 counter attack led to Vaughan’s Joey Bellotti’s chance to draw one back after a non-selfish pass from Ben Williams; he smashed the ball into the top right corner. Now, with a mere 5 minutes remaining, Vaughan ferociously continued to push for the ever near equalizer. Finally, with 10 seconds left on the clock, the Battlecats were awarded a corner kick. Joseph Capone took the kick which looked to be the last action of the game – and scored with 0:04 left to play! This game would go to Kicks from the Penalty Mark with the score 2 – 2. Vaughan was efficient from the spot, converting every kick and received help from their outstanding keeper who backstopped them to the title with 2 penalty saves. In what may be one of the most exciting turn of events, Vaughan had clawed their way back to win it all against an equally astounding Brampton team. Both teams can take pride in their performances.
