The soccer season has nearly wrapped up for a few teams from St. Paul, but the season will be extended for the U14 girls’ team as the local team will be traveling to Edson in July to compete in provincials.
The girls traveled to Vermilion this past weekend, and came away from the annual Lakeland Cup tournament undefeated. During the first two games, the girls showed their dominance on the field, and won each game handily, making their way to the gold medal game on June 20.
And in the final game, the girls would have to fight for the win, according to the team’s manager, Dale Drummond. But, allowing only two goals all tournament, the team’s defense proved its worth and allowed for the girls to take first place and secure themselves a trip to provincials with a 1-0 victory over a team from Cold Lake.
“I know the coaches were really proud of how the girls played,” says Drummond. The girls will now continue to practice and will travel to Edson to compete in provincials from July 9 to 11.
Also taking home a medal from the first portion of this year’s Lakeland Cup was the U18 girls team from St. Paul. Despite a hard-fought game in the finals, St. Paul would ultimately lose to Lac La Biche by a score of 3-1.
“It was tough because the girls have been winning for four or five years in a row,” says head coach Louis Gamache. Many of the girls on the U18 team have moved on to provincials, and given that this was the last season for a number of those girls, it was a tough loss.
But, overall, it was a good weekend in Vermilion, says Gamache, adding, “The girls played hard.”
On the other side of things, the U14 boys from St. Paul would also take home a medal, but this time it would be a bronze.
The St. Paul boys were seeded first in their category leading up to the tournament, and would win their first two games of the weekend, putting them in the round robin for medals, along with Vegreville and Bonnyville.
But, four games in one weekend would prove too much for the St. Paul boys, according to Coach Joy Tremblay, and “We ran out of gas,” she says.
“The top three teams were very, very close,” says Tremblay. St. Paul had previously beaten both Bonnyville and Vegreville in league games or during tournament play. She adds that it was an “amazing” season, and the boys she had on her team made for a great group to coach.
The St. Paul U18 boys would also travel to Vemilion over the weekend, but in the end the boys wouldn’t place in the top three.