For Canmore United, it’s true all good things must come to an end.
The team appears to have played their final game in the Kimberley Soccer Tournament, following an A division quarter-final loss to Spokane on Sunday (July 17).
“Most of us are over 35 and this was our last competitive shot at Kimberley,” said Canmore United veteran Lawrence White.
Canmore has had success in the tournament in the past, winning the tournament in 2008 and reaching the finals in 2007.
“We put in a good all around effort and we still have a good time down there,” White said.
The team always finds its way into the A division, and this year was no different. Canmore tied Red Deer 0-0 in their first match, with Mike Vila pitching the all-important shutout. In Kimberley, bonus points are awarded for shutouts.
Next up was Medicine Hat, and again Canmore found themselves playing to a draw, finishing the match 1-1.
That set up a pivotal third match against the Booty Hunters. In order to advance, Canmore had to get another shutout and score at least five goals.
The veteran squad proved up to the task, winning the match 6-0 to qualify for the A division playoffs.
However that set up a showdown with the defending champs.
“Spokane is last year’s winner. We’ve beaten them in the past, but they’re a good, fast, strong, big team,” White said.
Canmore came out strong and played their younger opponents to a draw in the first half.
“We surprised ourselves in the first half, and the game could have gone either way,” White said.
However a lack of depth on the bench resulted in some tired Canmore players. While in past years, the team has had about nine subs, this year they only really had three.
“In a tournament like that, you want depth on the bench. Not to mention it’s incredibly hot down there,” White said.
In the second half, Spokane scored on a free kick, and added a late marker to secure the win. However Canmore was satisfied with their result, noting it could have easily gone the other way.
“It was a huge team effort,” White said. “Vila played great keeping a clean sheet twice and some of our guys like Fraser Bowman and Mark Spowart really played well. Stefan Kuhn ran up and down the field more than anyone, but we expect that,” White said.
While the team doesn’t look like it will compete for the overall Kimberley title, it is considering entering the over 35 category portion of the tournament for next year.
“We’re getting a little long in the tooth,” White said. “We’ve got an extra few years and are thinking about the other division now.”
Banff FC struggled through the opening day of soccer, ending up in the C division playoffs, where they lost in the semi-final.
