Accident victim honored

The third annual Bridge Invitational soccer tournament this weekend will be dedicated to Robbie Owens, who died in a car accident last summer.

The tournament, which is organized by Bridge FA youth soccer club, will feature 117 teams from four states and will be played at three primary sites this weekend: James Island Soccer Club, Charleston Southern University and Dogwood Park in Goose Creek.

Owens loved sports, playing basketball, baseball and soccer growing up as a young boy in the West Ashley area. He began playing for Clark Brisson, executive director of Bridge FA, at the U14 level while Brisson was the coaching director for Summerville Soccer Club.

Owens was a member of the Bridge FA 90 Gold team that won the U.S. Soccer Club National Championships in 2005 and 2006 and was the starting goalkeeper for West Ashley High School for three years.

"We are proud to honor and remember Robbie through the naming of the event. Robbie had an infectious personality and touched the hearts of all those he came in contact with," says Brisson.

Next year, the tournament will become the Robbie Owens Memorial Soccer Tournament.

Tournament Director Ken-yon Cook of Lowcountry Soccer says, "The goal for the Robbie Owens Memorial Soccer Tournament is to grow it into a true areawide event that brings together the local youth soccer community.

"We felt the pinch of the economy this year, but as the economy picks back up, I expect the tournament to grow to over 200 by 2010 and by 2012 will exceed 300 teams. With a vast majority of the teams coming from out of town (72 this year), the economic impact of the tournament will exceed $500,000 this year, $1 million next year and $2 million by 2012."

People can follow the event online by going to www.bridgefa.com. There is no admission charge at any of the locations.