Yukon soccer team scores historic win at U15 national championships

The Yukon Selects U15boys soccer team weren't going let a province of nearly onemillion people stand in their way of making Yukon soccer history.

They did just that Thursday,beating Team Nova Scotia 2-0 atCanada Soccer'sU15Toyota National Championship Cup tournament in Laval, Que.

The win marks the first time a Yukon teamhas won a game this early at a national championship competition and sets the teamup for a likely quarterfinal match with TeamManitoba.

"I've been around soccer since we started sending youth and senior teams to the Club National Championships back in 2000," said Jake Hanson, a longtime coach with Team Yukon. "Obviously it's a great feeling and a bit surreal."

The win is that much sweeter for Hanson, an assistant coach with the U15 team, because he has worked with most of these players since they were five years old through his Total Soccer Excellence Academy.

"It's neat because the boys don't really understand the significance of the win," said Hanson. "They're a competitive group of kids and feel confident and capable of victories like this but I don't think they realize that we've never been able to be in this position...the boys are in a very good position right now."

Adding to the victory for Hanson is the fact his youngest son Joe is on the team and scored today.

"After having such a tight game with Alberta yesterday we all felt pretty confident about winning the game today," Joe Hanson said. "We're looking forward to the next few games and are focused on winning them."

Now the Yukon team will sit back and await the result of Friday's game between Alberta and Nova Scotia.

An Alberta win or a tie game puts the Selects into the quarterfinal and guarantees them at least a top-eight finish.

"We've dreamed about this ever since we started going to national-level events and we're competitive and have been able to develop a strong soccer program in the territory," Jake Hanson said.

"We've knocked on the doorstep and been close and certainly hopeful that one day we could push through."