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Widely recognized as the top stopper in Okanagan Valley high school soccer, goalkeeper Eric Dueck unveiled the offensive element of his game this week as the Rutland Voodoos defended their senior AAA title.
Photo Gallery (126 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
Not only did the Grade 12 Rutland Secondary School student share a pair 2-1 netminding victories — in the Voodoos’ semifinal over the Okanagan Mission Huskies on Monday and in the championship match against the favoured Mt. Boucherie Bears (4-4-1) on Wednesday — but he also contributed to the winning goals.
Playing goal in the first half against the third-place Huskies in semifinal play on home field, Dueck’s outstanding play was the main reason the second-place Voodoos were able to stay close to the visitors, who claimed the territorial edge in the opening 45 minutes of a 1-0 OKM lead.
Rutland coaches Jeff Balkenhol, Jen Starling, and Antonio Duplessis, looking for some much-needed offence, decided to snatch Dueck out from between the posts to play as a striker in the second half while Skyler Petty replaced him in the net.
His goal off a corner kick by Carson Martin tied the score with about 15 minutes remaining in the game while Dueck returned the favour by feeding Martin on a give-and-go for the deciding marker in the dying minutes in the match.
In Wednesday’s championship game, Dueck came through again with a stellar performance in net against the tenacious Bears, holding the regular-season champs to a goal by Boucherie’s Justin Matte late in the first half. Along with Zack MacInnes’ opening goal of the match, Dueck’s difficult saves against the highest-scoring team in the league were the principal reason for sending the game into what turned out to be two scoreless overtime periods.
With darkness approaching the two teams went to a five-man shootout, but while Andrew Mihas and Matte of the Bears beat him from the spot, Dueck stopped the three other Bears. When only Kai Hagan and Ethan DeKruif of the Voodoos could put the ball by Boucherie goaltender Jordan Thorsen, extra shooters were called upon.
Josh Clancy of Boucherie scored first on Dueck while Bernardo Rosenthal replied for the Voodoos who had defeated the Bears 1-0 and tied them 1-1 in the regular season.
After stopping the Bears’ seventh shooter, Dueck obliged his coaches again. His shootout kick caught Thorsen leaning the wrong way — to send his team to the B.C. School Sports provincial championship tournament for the third time in four years.
The 16-team tournament is being played in Burnaby Nov. 21-23.
Photo Gallery (126 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
Photo Gallery (126 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
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