The Kelowna United/Junior Heat U13 and U14 soccer teams are back home after the trip of a lifetime.

The local boys did their club, Kelowna and Canada proud while competing earlier this month at the Southampton Cup in the United Kingdom.

The eight-day international youth soccer tournament featured both boys and girls academy and premier teams from several countries, and provided players with the opportunity to showcase their talents on a global stage.

After going undefeated through the round robin and knockout stages in the U14 Premier Division, the Kelowna U14 boys made it all the way through to the gold medal final.

In a rematch of their first game against Salisbury FC, the boys played well and while they had their chances, they were unable to beat the Salisbury keeper. With a 3-0 loss in the championship game, the Kelowna U14 boys took home the silver medal.

Junior Heat player Pietro Arrigoni was awarded the Player of the Tournament Award for the U14s.

The U13 boys played one age group up in the U14 Premier Division.

The boys lost their games through the round robin stage, however they played well, holding their own against the older teams and building momentum.

Heading into their final game on Saturday, the boys hit their stride and were victorious in their final match with an 8-0 win over Andover.

Both teams are grateful to the many businesses and members of the community who contributed to numerous fundraising initiatives undertaken by the boys over the past year to make the trip a reality.