Tillsonburg BDR International U16 Titans win Michigan Border Stars tournament
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Tillsonburg's BDR International U16 boys soccer team is already winning tournaments, and the WOYSL L3 season hasn't even started yet.
The Titans went 3-0-1 to win their division in the 2014 International Border Stars Tournament, April 12, in Wixom, Michigan, west of Novi/Farmington Hills. A full field outdoor-indoor tourney, Tillsonburg mostly played outside with one indoor game.
"It worked out nice because we had mid-20s (temperatures) the whole weekend, we got lucky," said Steve Langley, BDR International assistant 'supply' coach, who took the team to the Michigan tournament.
Two days later, southern Ontario was blanketed by a light covering of snow.
The Titans defeated Windsor Stars 3-1 Saturday afternoon, with goals from Liam Warnock, Justin Grunsell, and Ben Groulx; tied the Fraser Flyers 0-0 that night, and defeated FC Nova 3-1 Sunday afternoon, getting goals from Eddie Richter, Jackson Does, and Zach Langley; setting up a championship final against Fraser Sunday evening.
"The team out of Windsor was more their (Tillsonburg's) age, the other two (American) teams were a year older – a little bigger, a little bit physically stronger."
Sunday's final was scoreless in regulation and overtime. Tillsonburg prevailed in penalty shots. Scoring for BDR International in the shootout were Treven Vanderhaeghe, Alessandro Palermo, Eddie Richter, and Zach Langley.
"This was their first time outside this year," said Steve Langley, "and there were three new kids added to the team, so it was pretty cool. It was tough conditions because of the turf and the wind caused some problems, and all of a sudden you have all this extra space you have to cover.
"It's one of the things the kids in the States have over us, it seemed all the teams we played from the States, their high schools all have turf – huge indoor facilities that have full fields. Those kids play all winter on the big field."
Tillsonburg's U16 team has been training indoors throughout the winter at Annandale and Glendale, and some have played at indoor domes in the area (London/Woodstock), but Langley stressed there is an adjustment moving outside.
"It's totally different."
"We've been playing against some good opposition in some different settings," said BDR International head coach John Twinem. "We tried to make sure we had the chance to play against higher level opposition, and the guys are doing well."
Tillsonburg has played an exhibition/scrimmage against a Toronto academy, with good results, and an exhibition/scrimmage against North London, with similar results.
"We've got to get into the larger space," said Twinem, who was itching to get the team practicing outdoors. "The length of the winter means we haven't had a chance to open up and play on the big fields. The opposition we played (in Michigan) were all a year older than our guys, and they have been playing through the winter on full fields."
The 2014 season kicks off May 16-18 with a WOYSL L3 'Kick Off Cup' hosted by the Titans, promoted after winning LDYSL L5 last year.
"We're still tweaking a bit," said Langley. "We had some new kids come in and that allows us to take a look at where they need to go, and maybe that rotates somebody else into a different position they're better adapted to. Nothing's set yet."
The Titans are looking forward to playing at a new level this summer.
"Stepping up a level, you step up in speed. Everybody's better at everything, so it will be a big adjustment. So it was nice to be able get games early on to start making that adjustment."
With players coming from Ingersoll, St. Thomas, Port Dover/Simcoe, and Tillsonburg, the BDR International U16s have a regional flavour.
"It's kind of nice," nodded Langley, who comes from St. Thomas. "Originally, St. Thomas didn't have a team at our level, so we came here. Last year St. Thomas started up a team at our level, but we enjoyed it here, so we stayed. And we picked up another couple of kids from St. Thomas."
"The guys who have come in, they fit in very well," said Twinem. "Great attitudes, great work ethic. We have a really cohesive team – nobody's yipping negatives at each other. They treat each other well, the listen well, and they go to work. They're a group of guys who have been willing to work hard, and they're a group that's really coming along."
One of their challenges this year, said Twinem, is developing two goalies – Otterville's Luuk Hoogenboom and Springfield's Rory Buchanan – for the L3 level.
"These guys are working hard, they've got great attitudes, but being thrown into a new position is definitely a challenge. It's a demanding position, but they've been willing to work hard at it."