Heading into the second day of the Western Canada Soccer Showcase, the PGYSA Showcase Academy is seeking its first win.
At the prestigious youth soccer tournament, being played in Burnaby, the local girls all-star team drew 0-0 with the Upper Vancouver Island Selects on Friday morning and then lost 4-2 to Edmonton Scottish in the afternoon.
"Things didn't go as well as we expected but we're not here to deal with results, we're here to show what the girls can do," said Prince George assistant coach Gaetano Mauro.
In the game against Upper Vancouver Island, Showcase Academy shooters couldn't break through for a goal but the team was solid defensively and got shutout netminding from Jordan Hall.
Against Edmonton Scottish, the PGYSA side surrendered two goals in the first three minutes of play and was forced to fight from behind. Late in the first half, Emily Kwitkoski got the Showcase Academy on the board when she scored on a great solo effort.
"She broke in on their defence and took on a couple people and the goalie came out challenging and she went through and put it into an empty net," Mauro said.
In the early moments of the second half, Edmonton Scottish fired two more quick goals and moved into a 4-1 lead. The PGYSA players did a good job of regaining their composure and were rewarded later in the game when Jessica Manning converted on a crossing pass from Kwitkoski.
Hall, who was battling a case of the flu, shared the goaltending chores with Calyssa deBoer.
The Showcase Academy wasn't originally scheduled to play Edmonton Scottish but the match was added after a team from Nigeria was a no-show for the tournament.
On Saturday, the Showcase Academy club will take to the pitch against the Saskatchewan Provincial Team and the TSS Academy. On Sunday, Prince George will be back in action against Kelowna PCSL.
The tournament, in its fourth year of operation, is being watched by college and university scouts from across Canada and the United States.
