INUVIK
"Second place is OK with us."

The East Three Secondary School senior boys Eagles soccer team came close to defending its 2014 championship at the Super Soccer tournament in Yellowknife earlier this month, but ending up taking silver medals home. Pictured are coach Matthew Miller, team member Beau Larocque, Alex Robertson, Johnny Charlie, and coach Colin Pybus. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

That sentiment summed up the thoughts of the East Three Secondary School Eagles senior boys soccer team following their recent silver-medal performance at the Super Soccer tournament in Yellowknife.

The team was attempting to defend its banner from 2014 in the face of an all-new lineup and challenging circumstances.

No members of the winning team from 2014 were on the roster, leaving a more inexperienced crew to take their place.

Colin Pybus, one of the team's coaches, said there were also difficulties pulling a full complement together.

Several players were recruited from Tuktoyaktuk to fill out the team, and, as a result, the team had little practice time together.

"I think they did a fantastic job," Pybus said.

"I don't want to say there were lowered expectations for this team, but we had various challenges that had to be overcome. There just seemed to be a lot of hurdles, and it seemed like there was a lot of things against us.

"It took the team a little time to gel, but they pulled it together when it mattered, and we're very proud of the silver medal they earned."

Even the weather conspired against the team when a late-season snowstorm delayed its departure by a day.

The first few games in the round robin play demonstrated that. The team didn't win

a game until the playoff round, as the members slowly jelled together and sorted out roles.

"Second place is good enough for me," Johnny Charlie said. "We hadn't really practised well with most of our players."

He said the team's conditioning was also a bit of an issue, since there's a considerable difference between playing indoor soccer on a small court in Inuvik compared to the large field at the tournament.

"We were still trying to get comfortable with it (through the tournament)," he said.

"Once we got to the games that really mattered, that's when we got comfortable together. But in the last 10 minutes, we just really ran out of gas in the final."

Charlie had played before at the tournament, in the junior ranks.

Other players were satisfied with the team's performance.

"I'm happy with second, despite losing our first three games," said Beau Larocque.

"We were having a close game until the last 10 minutes in the finals," he added. "Then we kind of ran out of steam."

Robertson said Larocque had been with teams that had qualified, but they hadn't travelled with them for varying circumstances.

"This was the best weekend I've had in a while," Larocque said. "I'm just sad it had to end so soon. It was a great experience."

Larocque started playing soccer in elementary school, and has kept at it since on at least an intermittent basis.

"I'm not the type of person who can just sit around and do nothing," Larocque said.

"I have to be up and

moving. With soccer, I'm always moving and running back and forth. And I like the co-operation between my teammates. When I jump into a game, it really clears my mind."

Robertson, a talented up-and-coming speed skater who has travelled widely, said it was a unique experience for him as well.

"This was the first team sport event I'd been at," he said.

"It was pretty different, but it was a great experience.

"And second place was good enough for me, for a team that hadn't had much practice. Our first practice with the Tuk players was a game. I'm not disappointed."

He played goal for the team, which also was a new experience for him.

"It was my second time playing, and it was a very different experience."

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