After a three-week hiatus, forced by snowy conditions throughout Rocky View County, the Springbank Phoenix girls’ soccer team concluded its regular season Oct. 15, in a highly-anticipated match against the division-leading Cochrane Cobras. Following a relatively even 90 minutes at the Spray Lakes Legacy pitch in Cochrane, the Cobras left the field 2-0 victors. Both strikes came in the first half, with senior forward Daphne Hayes and sophomore midfielder Jamie Rovere each finding the net for Cochrane. Springbank’s head coach Jen Mensah said her players started out slowly, but picked up intensity in the second half. “That’s all I can ask of my team – to play a good game until the last whistle,” she said. “We started playing the ball better and keeping possession of the ball, making smarter plays. We got some opportunities, but unfortunately, none of them went in.” According to Mensah, a flock of injuries to her players did not help matters. “We were missing four or five key players today, and that would have made a world of difference,” she said. Heading into the Week-6 match, the Cobras and Springbank were in first and second place, respectively, in the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA). Cochrane was Springbank’s final opponent of the 2018 regular season, and the result of the match helped determine the Phoenix’s final standing heading into the RVSA playoffs. The loss means the Phoenix heads into playoffs in third place, boasting a 4-1-1 record. For the Cobras, which won the RVSA playoffs last year, the match against Springbank was an opportunity to extend its unbeaten record this season to five matches. The Cobras later finished its season with a sixth consecutive win, Oct. 18, against the Bert Church Chargers. Throughout those six matches, Cochrane scored 36 goals and conceded only one. “They are very challenging," said Springbank’s Grade-12 goalkeeper Samantha Schultz. “I know 10 of them and knew it was going to be a challenge. But overall, 2-0 is a pretty good game." Considering the Springbank roster is comprised of many Grade 9 and 10 players, Mensah said she was pleased with the young players’ performances this season. Her team managed to score 20 goals while only conceding seven in its six league fixtures. “I’m really proud of the way they play all 90 minutes – they don’t give up,” Mensah said. “They seem to always pick it up in the second half. We warm up in the first half and in the second half, we play a lot better." With playoffs looming and another potential fixture against Cochrane in the championship game, Schultz said Springbank’s players need to work on their ability to win 50-50 battles, if they want to come out on top against the Cobras. “I think being more aggressive for the ball, wanting the ball more and getting to the ball first would really hurt Cochrane,” she said. “Our commitment needs to be a bit better, but everyone is trying their best and playing with heart.” Since Springbank finished third in the regular season, it played its quarterfinal Oct. 22 (after press time) against the Chargers. If the Phoenix defeats the Chargers, the team will face the Chestermere Lakers in the RVSA semi-final match Oct. 23 at 4 p.m., at East Lake School in Chestermere. The RVSA championship match and bronze-medal game will take place Oct. 25 at Monklands Park, in Airdrie. Kick off is set for 4 p.m. for both of those matches.
