45°
The Norwalk Tornadoes under-16 boys soccer stepped up in age divisions to compete against u-18 teams in the Westport Invitational Tournament on Sunday. They showed they can play with the big boys and beat them.
The Tornadoes, coached by Kurt Jacob, went 5-0 during the tournament and outscored opponents 29-2 with three shutouts. In the unique tournament, the games are 25 minutes long and teams play 6-on-6. The Tornadoes defeated the Westport Soccer Association under-18 team in the championship, 6-1.
"We use this to get ready for the outdoor season,'' said Jacob, president of the Norwalk Junior Soccer Association. "This is a u-16 team that will play in a u-17 league. We want to try to get these guys ready to play for their high school teams."
The Tornadoes defeated Westport u18 with a score of 5-0 to begin the tournament, and then beat Newtown, 6-1, and Westport u-15/16 with a score of 5-0. In the semifinals, the Tornadoes topped Westport u-15/16 at 7-0. The Tornadoes' ease in breezing through the tournament surprised Jacob. "We play in a Friday night league in Hamden, and we lost that game,'' Jacob said. "Maybe that got them motivated for the weekend."
Alejandro Rivera scored nine goals on the day for Norwalk, while Robbie Arevena had eight. Ryan Jacob and Paul Soja also excelled for Norwalk, which mixed its players between forward and defense throughout the day.
Have a youth sports score to report? Send information and pictures to trenner@mainstreetconnect.us.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
