Rangers come away with valuable experience at tournament

| MAX BITTLE THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

• Pacific Coast Challenge: Whatcom Rangers vs. Columbia Premier

After all, the Puyallup team is ranked No. 1 in the state. The tournament represented significant progress for the U12 Rangers, who went 13-3-1 in four tournaments, including two titles, and never lost by more than one goal.

"I think it's great," Carpenter said of the opportunity to play tournaments in Boise, Idaho, and Tukwila, in addition to two at Northwest Soccer Park. "We're pretty much all best friends, and we weren't just creaming teams (the way they would have been in developmental soccer, where U12 gold players formerly performed). We're really learning the game."

"It's just a lot better," said teammate Cody Fransen from Lynden. "Better competition. I really like it."

Tom Wanne, who coached the team with help from Western Washington University men's and women's coach Travis Connell, said he appreciates how the premier level "gives the boys new opportunities to dig deep and push themselves.

"And these kids have amazing attitudes," said Wanne, who credited Connell with being "a great mentor" in the coaching ranks. "There's no ego. They're just great fun to coach."

Don Price, the father of player Jason Price, said he couldn't be more enthusiastic about the move to premier level, which was made to accommodate the statewide structure of U.S. soccer.

"I'm excited about it," Don Price said. "I think it's great for the kids. They've shown they're old enough and mature enough to handle the level of competition and the demands of travel.

"The most exciting thing for me is watching these kids push each other to become better players," he said. "They're becoming better not just physically, but mentally. I think if the kids were still playing (in the developmental league), they'd be bored."

Amy Schilder, the mother of goalkeepers Logan on the U12s and Auden on the U14s, says both of her sons "really live for it" with regard to premier competition.

"I like it a lot," she said of the U12 move to premier. "The boys are consistently challenged and we have a great group of parents."

The parents showed that by giving their sons an ovation for playing well in defeat against the state's No. 1 team.

U15 TEAM A FINALIST

The only Whatcom finalist in the six divisions was Lance Calloway's U15 squad, which beat Three Rivers from Tri-Cities 2-1 in the morning semifinals before the Rangers fell to the Columbia Timbers 3-0 in the title match.

Heath Sowers scored the winner against Three Rivers on a penalty kick when Darren Klees was taken down in the box with about seven minutes to play. Klees scored the first goal, assisted by Josh Bramlett.

The U15 squad went 4-1 for the tournament, outscoring the opposition by a combined 13-5 in the four victories.

The six Ranger teams in action suffered only 6 losses in 21 games while accounting for 7 victories and eight ties in a strong showing at the elite event, which ended the summer tournament season while preparing the boys for the regular fall season. Whatcom teams scored 33 goals and allowed 27 in those 21 games.

"The boys deserve all the credit," Calloway said. "They really rose to the occasion. They had been struggling to score goals and they figured ouf some things to solve the problem."

It was the third runnerup finish in four tournaments for the U15 squad. The previous two second places came when the boys played up in the U16 division.

"I was very pleased, because the Columbia Timbers are probably the second- or third-best team in the state in our division," Calloway said. "Our boys play with real heart and don't give up. I'm very proud of them."