CANMORE – The Canmore Collegiate Wolverines' soccer girls confidently defeated the visiting Strathmore Spartans in a battle for bronze, in league play, at Millennium Park on Tuesday (Oct.15).
“We played a full game out there today and were able to finish many of our chances,” said Wolverines head coach Jason Thompson.
Canmore started the match with a quick tempo, overwhelming the Spartans back line. Just eight minutes into the match the Wolverines capitalized on one of their many early chances.
Nadia Fish swung a high looping cross into the box that fooled everyone including the Spartans goalkeeper.
Winger, Anna Jasinsky doubled the lead a little over a minute after the first marker. She made a strong run into the box and jumped on the end of Fish’s cross, before cooly finishing into the lower corner.
Fish controlled much of the play in the Spartans half, creating multiple chances and pushing the pace of the game. Strathmore ran into trouble midway through the first half when one of its attackers had to leave the field due to an injury. With no substitutes on the bench, the opposing team was down to 10 players on the field.
Grade 12 student Jaiden Webster, playing in her last regular season game as a Wolverine, got on the goal sheet when she stole the ball from a Strathmore defender and slotted it into the bottom corner, giving Canmore a three goal lead.
“This was my best game of the season, I think. I was able to calm things down out there and play with grace,” said Webster.
Jasinsky would add one more to Canmore’s tally before the end of the first half.
The pace of play slowed down in the second half, but the Wolverines still added four more goals for an 8-0 victory.
“They gave us a lot of space out there, we are not going to have that kind of time when we are in zones. We will have to move a lot more quickly and be more precise with our passes,” said Thompson.
There were two more Grade 12 students playing in their final regular season game, Trinidy Speiss and Marike Henderson.
“It was exciting, but emotional for sure,” said Speiss, who scored once in the match. “It’s been four years with this team and I even teared up when I was driving over to the field. There was a lot of emotion and a lot of heart in this game.”
“This season it was nice to see how much we have grown asa team, especially the younger players,” said Henderson.
The Wolverines now turn their focus onto zones. On Friday (Oct. 18), in Cochrane, the Wolverines will play three matches. Thompson and his side know they will be up against some difficult competition, but are optimistic after their strong finish in league play.
“This was a good warm up game, but we will have to amp up the pace this weekend and come out with lots of power and intensity,” said Webster.
