Jordyn Huitema scores three goals, Canada qualifies for semis at U-20 championship

COUVA, Trinidad And Tobago — Jordyn Huitema scored three times as Canada beat host Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 on Saturday at the CONCACAF women’s under-20 championship, securing the Canadians a spot in the tournament semifinals.

Aaliyah Prince put Trinidad and Tobago (0-2-0) ahead in just the third minute before Canada responded with four straight goals.

“We got the result we wanted,” said Canadian coach Bev Priestman. “We said going into this game that we wouldn’t settle for anything less than the six points we needed to secure a spot in the semifinal and that is what this team did.”

Huitema tied the game in the ninth minute, knocking in a corner from Julia Grosso, then gave Canada (2-0-0) its first lead in the 51st.

Canadian captain Gabrielle Carle made it 3-1 on a hand-ball penalty in the 67th and Huitema finished off her hat trick in the 87th.

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“They were a very resilient team, they went whistle to whistle and they were honest the whole time in the first half,” said Huitema. “It was a bit chaotic (but) we brought down the tempo in the second half and played our style of soccer.”

Huitema, a 16-year-old forward from Chilliwack, B.C, who plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite REX, has five goals in two tournament matches after scoring twice in Canada’s 3-1 win Thursday against Costa Rica.  

Canada has won the CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship twice before in 2004 and 2008.

The Canadians are in Group A and play their final preliminary-round match Monday against Haiti, which also has two wins. The outcome will decide who finishes atop the group.

The eight-team tournament will send three teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 in August.

The Canadian Press