LEAWOOD — The Iola Blue and Gold Soccer Club couldn’t have picked a better time to play at its best. IOLA ALSO entered a 10-and-under team into a separate division of Soccer Fest. THE TOURNAMENT wraps up the spring season for Iola Soccer Club, although Ulrich is considering participating in a summer event or two.
Blue and Gold parlayed its solid play into a tournament championship Saturday and Sunday at the Leawood Soccer Fest 2013.
Iola went 3-1 in the 15-and-under tournament, winning first place with a 1-0 win over Blue Valley Sporting.
“It was a phenomenal game by all of the kids,” Iola coach Brek Ulrich said. “It was our best game of the year.”
Zane Beasley scored a goal just minutes into the game, a tally which held up through the contest’s duration.
Sealing the win was goalkeeper Mason Key, who racked up more than 20 saves.
“They were definitely getting shots,” Ulrich said.
The victory over Blue Valley avenged Blue and Gold’s only loss of the tournament one day earlier.
Iola opened the tournament Saturday by defeating Overland Park Real Madrid 2-1. Braden Plumlee scored both of Iola’s goals, the last of which broke a 1-1 deadlock just seconds before the match was scheduled to end.
“It was a huge goal,” Ulrich said. “Without it, we probably don’t advance to the championship.”
The second game of the day was a 5-0 loss to Blue Valley. Ulrich noted Iola was without several key players who missed Saturday’s games because of a baseball tournament elsewhere.
Blue and Gold rebounded Sunday morning with a 2-1 win over Gardner-Tri County. Beasley and Plumlee scored Iola’s goals.
The victory put Iola into the championship game, courtesy of its 2-1 pool record.
“This time, we had our full team, and everybody played great,” Ulrich said.
In addition to winning medals, the players were invited to play next season in a league featuring teams from Gardner, Osawatomie and La Cygne — much like Iola High School’s joining the Pioneer League.
The squad went 0-3, losing 5-1 to the Leawood Sapphires, 5-2 to the Olathe Lady Panthers and 4-2 to a squad from Kansas City, Mo.
The scores aren’t indicative of how well Iola played in the younger division, Ulrich said. In all three games, the decisive goals were scored after Ulrich substituted younger players.
“Most of the teams had only 10-year-olds,” he said. “We had some kids as young as 8 out there.”
Blue and Gold will host open tryouts in late August for the team’s fall season.
Iola Soccer Club wins Leawood tournament title
