After losing every regular-season game in 2018, the St. Martin de Porres Kodiaks girls’ soccer team earned its first point in two years Sept. 12, drawing 1-1 against the Lester B. Pearson Patriots.
The match kicked off the 2019 season in Division 4 of the Calgary Senior High School Athletics Association (CSHSAA).
“The first game of the season, you never really know how it’s going to fare, and I’m really impressed with the skill of our club players and veteran members of the team,” said Kodiaks coach Jessica Hamilton. “As well, [with] their willingness to work as a team and spread that knowledge throughout the rest of the players.”
The Kodiaks’ goal came from Grade-10 Olivia Bryant.
According to Hamilton, one of the main challenges for the Kodiaks’ in 2018 was the team’s thin roster.
“It was a great group of girls but it was a struggle to get the numbers,” she said. “We were lucky if we had 13 girls at a game.”
She said that shouldn’t be an issue this year, as the team boasts a much larger lineup.
“We tried to be as inclusive as possible, so we have quite a mix of club soccer players, girls who want to get back into soccer, and girls who just want to be a part of a school team and want to learn the game,” she said.
“These girls love playing soccer. The girls who are more experienced want to play and have fun. They want to win, of course, but they have an attitude that [radiates] positivity. Moving forward, I see it being a really successful season.”
Following the game against Lester B. Pearson, the Kodiaks played in a one-day Division 4 tournament Sept. 14, which featured four 40-minute games. According to Hamilton, the Kodiaks won three of its four matches to finish in third place.
“It gives us a good base of what we have and where we need to move forward,” she said.
The Kodiaks returned to the pitch Sept. 17 (after press time) to take on the Lord Beaverbrook Lords in the team’s first road game of the season.
St. Martin de Porres’ next battle will be Sept. 19 against the John G. Diefenbaker Chiefs, in Calgary. The team will be back home Sept. 26 to face the Robert Thirsk Comets.
All CSHSAA games take place Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 4:15 p.m. For a full schedule of Kodiaks games, visit bit.ly/2lPsOzT
