Kanata 90s show well at Score on the Shore Showcase

On July 20th, the Kanata 90s headed to Greensboro, North Carolina to compete in the prestigious Score on the Shore tournament and showcase. Arriving Friday, the team had booked a practice field at a field turf facility in Greensboro. Mt. Hamilton Lobitos (ranked #20 in the US) were also practicing as they were in town for the US Club Championships. The teams scrimmaged with Mt Hamilton scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win. A great experience and warm-up for the team.

The tournament took place at the immaculate Bryan Park facility which features 10 Bermuda grass fields in a tiered formation that allows elevated viewing of each game.

The Lightning's first game was against Beachside FC from Connecticut. A poor first half resulted in a 1-0 deficit on a penalty shot but the team came on in the second and equalized within minutes. This was followed by a very dubious red card issued following a Beachside FC player's theatrical collapse and play acting off the ball. However, Kanata managed to persevere and score another goal with minutes left to take all 3 points.

Next up were the Dallas Texans Reds North who are part of the #1 club in the US. The Lightning came out and played their best game of the weekend, scoring two first half goals on set plays before adding a 3rd in the second half for a 3-0 victory and a controlling position in the group as Dallas had beaten Charlotte 89 Blue (#2 in NC, #39 in US and  winners of the previous Score on the Shore)) the day before.

The final round robin game to decide the group was played in the heat of the late afternoon and featured seesaw play and great competition. Kanata hit the post early but Charlotte capitalized on a speculative long shot to end the first half in the lead. Despite their best efforts, Kanata could not come back and gave up a late fast break goal to go down 2-0. This left the 2 teams tied for first, but Charlotte grabbed first place due to the head to head tie breaker.

This placed Kanata in the round of 16 for 2nd place teams against the Texas Heat. The Heat are ranked #1 in South Texas, #35 in the US and had recently won the South Texas State Cup. They were upset in their group by eventual championship finalists Parsippany Revolution and proved to be one of the toughest opponents the Lightning had ever faced. Skilled, fast and organized, they put Kanata under pressure from the opening kick-off. However, Kanata managed to score just before half to take the lead. The second half saw Texas desperately commit everyone to attack while the Lightning defended and launched counter attacks. With less than 90 seconds left, a give away in the opposition end led to a sharp angle cross into Kanata's goal mouth. A mix up between the keeper and a fullback led to an unfortunate own goal and a subsequent penalty shot tie breaker.  The Lightning lost the shootout 4-3 to exit the tournament. A heart breaking end to a great run. The Texas Heat would go on to win the 2nd place round.

Despite this, excellent facilities, competition and organization of the tournament made for a great experience for the team and lead to multiple college contacts. Based on their performance, the Lightning have been invited to the Jacksonville, Florida version of the Score on the Shore in February.