Rulers of the pitch
FC claims third men's title, Rankin also takes female crown
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
RANKIN INLET
The Rankin Inlet FC men's adult soccer team defeated the Hashtag Rankin squad in the final of the Rankin Inlet Adult Soccer Championship to claim the team's third championship banner in a row this past month.
Three time Rankin Inlet Adult Soccer Tournament men's champs are Rankin FC's Trent Aksawnee, James Merritt, Carlo Issaluk, Chad Graham, Natuk Ford and Shea Karetak (water boy), back row from left, and Gareth Taylor, Andrew Simms and Seamus Ayaruak, middle row from left, and Kris Okpatauyak, front, in Rankin Inlet this past month. - photo courtesy of Andrew Simms
The Rankin Inlet Adult Soccer Tournament women's division champions, Team KickARS, are Taukie Taukie, Susanne Misheralak, Amy Siusangnark, Adriana Kusugak and Tracey Lindell, back row from left, and Amy Ikakhik, Michaela Angootealuk, Sharon Sateana (goalie), Keisha Aliyak and Joelle Airut, front row from left, in Rankin in June of 2015. - photo courtesy of Amyu Siusangnark |
The championship game was a rematch of the 2014 tournament final.
The Rankin KickARS claimed the female championship.
For the Rankin FC men's team, a number of players have moved in and out of the lineup since the tournament began four years ago, but the results have been the same during the past three.
Rankin FC captain Andrew Simms and assistant captain Chad Graham are the only two FC players to have played on all three championship teams.
Simms said it can be hard to field a consistent lineup for an adult tournament due to work commitments and other obligations.
He said he and Graham have, pretty much, picked up whatever players have been available the past three years and the approach keeps working.
"The tournament has really picked up in talent during the past four years," said Simms.
"It's still a lot of fun to play in but it has become a lot more competitive.
"It's always intense now, especially when you reach the playoffs.
"Having Iqaluit send a team in both the men's and women's divisions really helps it grow, too."
Simms said his longtime teammate, Graham, and Kandace Kusugak really deserve a lot of credit for all the hard work they put in to organize the annual event.
He said having an adult tournament allows people who like to play soccer keep active, after aging out for territorial and Arctic Winter Games events, and gives them at least one big competition to look forward to.
"For me, personally, I keep playing because it's still fun and now it's also a challenge to keep trying to defend our title.
"The format can change a bit from year to year, depending on the number of teams that come in, but it's always challenging.
"Our semifinal against Iqaluit was close right through both halves to the end of the game.
"Our final game was really close in the first half - we were actually down 20 at one point - but our team took it to another level in the second half and pulled away to win it 93."
