The Yorkton United FC U14 teams brought home multiple gold medals and two Golden Boot Awards. “I was very happy and excited about [the Golden Boot Award] because one of my teammates from the previous year got it and we ended up winning provincials as well. I was like, ‘Next year in this age group, I want to get that,’” Ben Wagner told CTV News. He is one of two young players who received Golden Boot Awards from the Saskatchewan Soccer Association. The award is given to players who score the most goals in the league. “A lot of the work is from my amazing teammates, as you can see,” Wagner said, pointing at the rest of the team behind him as they prepared for the final practice of the season. “All the passes and assists come from them.” The U14 boys team finished first in the Great Plains Futsal League and became SaskCup champions without a single loss. “We’ve got a fantastic team,” said Andy Wyatt, the boys team coach. “We went through the season undefeated. The goaltending was fantastic, our defence was fantastic. [Wagner] won the Golden Boot at provincials, but we also had the second leading scorer at provincials.” The club also has a strong U14 girls’ team. One of their players, Lea Mickle, was also recognized with a Golden Boot Award. During the team’s SaskCup weekend, Taylor Woitas led the tournament with 16 goals. She also received the team’s Grafter Award. “I got it because I encourage my team and help them on the field and off the field,” Woitas told CTV News. She joined the team five years ago, hoping to make friends and develop her skills. “The team is very nice and encouraging to me. When I mess up on the field, they encourage me to do better,” she said with a shy smile. Her team defended their title and brought home gold at the SaskCup Provincials. Wyatt said Yorkton has a strong soccer culture. “It’s a culture of people helping each other, wanting to do well, and encouraging one another. We’re lucky to have a club like this in the community,” he said.
