If their final tune-up game is any indication than the players on the Yukon's U-16 boys' soccer team are in for some good results at this year's Canadian Club championships.

Playing against a very talented, mainly U-17 rep squad Saturday at F.H. Collins Secondary School, the Yukon boys never trailed and on two separate occasions reclaimed the lead before eventually winning the game 3-2.

"To me it's not so much the beating or even the win, but I am happy with the result," said Jake Hanson, head coach of the U-16 boys' team. "I am just proud of the boys because I guess the results are fairly indicative of sort of the huge improvements that this group has made quite quickly."

The U-16 Yukon team got off to a quick start in the game, netting the first goal around the midway point of the the opening half. Robbie Borud was the goal scorer for the U-16's.

It was a back and forth game after Borud's goal with both teams trading chances, however the score by the conclusion of the first 45 minutes would remain at 1-0.

Not long into the start of the second half, the opposition team tied the game up after a penalty kick was awarded.

U-16 goalie Nick Gillen never stood a chance as the ball was perfectly placed, landing in the far side of the net to even up the contest at 1-1.

Walker Ewing restored the lead for the U-16 boys' team, capitalizing on a rush that ended with a quick shot into the far side of the net.

Despite being down again, the opposing team didn't let up and after putting some pressure in the U-16 end they notched the tying goal, which was deflected in after a cross field kick in.

In a dramatic conclusion, the U-16 squad would net the winning goal with only minutes left in regulation time.

The play began with a nice pass that sent Ewing in all alone. Playing it like a pro, Ewing waited for the goalie to go down and then worked the ball around him to send it into the back of the net.

In the final couple minutes of regulation time, the opposing team put the pressure on, but Gillen stood tall preserving his team's lead for the remainder of the contest.

Fittingly enough, the whistle blew a second after Gillen made the final save of the contest after three and a half minutes of extra time.

Besides the U-17 players, the assortment team was made up of U-15 players as well as some adult players in the elite league.

The two squads have been playing against each other since September, but this was the first time that the U-16 group has registered a victory over the group.

The U-16 closest contest came on Wednesday when the team limited the opposition group to three goals, but were unable to score any of their own.

The victory was a big step for the U-16's, who have continued to improve since they first started practicing in May.

Over the last month, the team has met four times a week for practice and also played one game each week.

Some of the areas of the game that the group has worked on in the practices have included tightening up defensively, putting pressure on the opposition and taking away the other team's space when they have the ball.

On Sunday, the U-16's made the trip to Sydney, Nova Scotia for the nationals, which begins on Wednesday with a game against soccer powerhouse Quebec.

The Yukon squad will follow up its contest against Quebec with a tilt against B.C. on Thursday and then finish round robin play against Newfoundland on Saturday.

Sunday and Monday will feature the playoff round, which, at the nationals, consists of three divisions of four teams. This year's team will include 16 players.

In the Yukon's history of competing at the soccer nationals, it has never had a team finish out of division three, but Hanson said he thinks the U-16 boys have the ability to finish in a better place than nine through 12.

"This is a group that I believe has the potential to put the Yukon into the middle of the pack," he said.

He said he is looking forward to playing Quebec on Wednesday.

"I think the game with Quebec is going to be quite an exciting game and I think Quebec will be pleasantly surprised with the level of soccer that we are bringing," Hanson said.

Hanson, who is coaching for the U-16 boys for the first time at the nationals, said the team will represent the territory well in Sydney.

"I have really raised the expectations on them over the last three weeks in particular and they have certainly answered the bell," he said. "They bought into the program and made a great commitment to it and so I am really proud of the fact that they have done that and I expect that they will certainly represent the territory well."

Bruce Thomson will also be coaching a Yukon team at the club nationals this weekend. Thomson's U-14 Yukon Firth Rangers squad left for P.E.I. Sunday and will kick off the tournament Wednesday against B.C.

The group's second match on Thursday doesn't get any easier when they face off with Alberta and the conclusion of the round robin will feature the Yukoners going head to head against Nova Scotia.

Last year's U-14 team had one of the best Yukon finishes ever when they placed ninth overall.

Thomson said he hopes to equal last year's finish in the standings.

"We would like to match that," he said. "I don't know if we are going to be able to better it, but matching it would be good. We have a fairly tough draw to begin with, so it's a good way to get the boys feet wet."

He said the team has a strategy for their games against B.C. and Alberta.

"Our strategy is to just try to get an early goal and see what happens from there," Thomson said. "We are going to try and pack the middle a little bit, make it difficult for them to come through. Otherwise, just play the game and hopefully the boys will enjoy it and play well."

The group will be made up of 17 players, who have all been practicing since four times a week for the past month, working on fitness and team play.

Thomson said the team is progressing nicely.

"They are coming along," he said. "We had a few injuries along the way, but I think those are all pretty much healed up, so it should be exciting. We have been working really hard, so hopefully that hard work is going to pay off."

Monique Bennett is coaching for the first time at the nationals and also traveled to P.E.I. with the Yukon Wildfire U-14 girls' team on Sunday.

Last year's U-14 had more than a few close games and finished the tournament with one win.

The team will face a slightly easier draw than in 2007, playing B.C. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The Yukon Wildfire have been practicing three times a week since May and have been working on fitness and the basics in the sport.

Bennett said some of her team's strengths are the players fitness levels and their skills on defense.

She said some of the goals heading into the tournament include keeping the goals against below 15 and scoring more than they did last year.

"They have worked really hard all summer long right through till now and they have exceeded my expectations and where I thought they could be," Bennett said.

"So I am pretty excited about traveling with them and seeing how they can perform there. We have only two girls that have the experience of being there last year, so I'm just hoping they can stay focused and have a good time and I am sure if they do that they will have a good time and hopefully some good results."