The Cochrane Cobras girls’ soccer team capped off a stellar 2018 season Oct. 25, winning the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) championship with a 3-2 victory over the Chestermere Lakers. The win at Monklands Park, in Airdrie, meant the Cobras finished the season unbeaten, with an 8-0-0 record. Cochrane scored 46 goals in those eight matches, while conceding only five. Following the team’s defeat, Chestermere’s players and coaches were still in good spirits. The Lakers put up the toughest match the Cobras had faced all season, and Chestermere was one of only two teams in the division to put a shot past Cochrane's goalkeeper this year. “The girls played their hearts out,” said Chestermere’s co-head coach, Henry Faucher. “It was a phenomenal effort by both squads, and a tremendous game. [There is] a lot of good talent on both sides.” Chestermere’s two goals came from senior Kenzie Georgesen and junior Lindy Pribyl. According to the Lakers’ other coach, Gary Mitschke, 2018 was “Chestermere’s year” to push for a league title, as the team boasted several Grade-11 and -12 players who had developed chemistry throughout multiple seasons. “A lot of these girls have been working together for the last three years, and it’s gotten progressively better over the last three years,” he said. “These girls have a lot of passion, they work well as a unit, they communicate well together and want to win for each other. They strive to be their best.” The Lakers finished second in the RVSA regular season, posting a 4-1-1 record. The team qualified for the championship match, Oct. 23, by beating the Springbank Phoenix 4-2. On the other side of Monklands Park, the bronze-medal match was fought between the Phoenix and the W.H. Croxford Cavaliers. After 90 minutes, the Phoenix came through with a 3-1 victory. The Phoenix took a 2-0 lead into halftime, with goals from Sarah Rivas and Kiana Avrill, and continued the momentum into the second half. The team’s wingers and strikers all enjoyed plenty of the ball as the Springbank midfielders supplied them with pass after pass. Grade-9 player Kerigan Frampton made it 3-0 with 20 minutes left to play. “We were putting passes together, right from the beginning of the game,” said Springbank coach Jen Mensah. “We played strong and finished third, so that’s a win for us.” Croxford did eventually score a goal, but it was only a consolation, as the final whistle blew shortly afterwards. Springbank entered the 2018 RVSA post-season after finishing third in the division, with a 4-1-1 record. The team’s only dropped points during the regular season came from a 2-2 draw with the Lakers and a 2-0 defeat to the Cobras. Because the Phoenix finished third, it started the post-season Oct. 22 in the RVSA quarter-finals. The Phoenix earned a clean sheet against the Bert Church Chargers before losing to Chestermere in the semi-final the following day. According to Mensah, Springbank took on the Lakers with only 10 players – one of whom was injured during the game – which meant the Phoenix finished its semi with only nine on the field. “We fought and were tied 2-2 until the last 10 minutes, and then we just couldn’t hold on anymore,” she said. “If we had had our whole squad, it would probably have been a different outcome.” The Phoenix fielded a young team throughout 2018, according to Mensah, with only three senior players. One of those seniors was Emily Spagrud, who said she was sad to see her high school soccer career come to an end. “I’ve made a good connection with the coaches and all the girls,” she said. “I love the sport and I’m sad it’s ending, because it’s been four years of memories.” Spagrud said winning the bronze against Croxford was a good way to go out. “Today, we really played well as a team,” she said. “There were some games where we weren’t ‘ready’ when we got on the field, but today, we just brought it the entire time. “From the moment we stepped on the field, we were ready to play.”
