LAKELAND - The 2024-25 indoor soccer season has been a good one so far, according to the Lakeland and District Soccer Association president.
Since October, minor soccer players have had plenty of opportunities to practice their skills on the pitch and play in league games on weekends, with the most recent one taking place in Cold Lake on Jan. 10 and 11.
While the soccer association did host a league play weekend at Lac La Biche’s Bold Center on Dec 7 and 8, a winter storm forced the cancellation of games that were planned for Dec. 8.
According to Phillips, a second weekend of play will take place in Lac La Biche from Feb. 1-2. The Feb. 1 date will showcase women’s soccer teams from the region and beyond.
“We will end up with eight league weekends in total, along with Lakeland Cup,” says Josh Phillips, president of LDSA. “While we are very limited on facility time in our district, we try to maximize our schedule so the players can get as many games as possible.”
The 2025 edition of Lakeland Cup, which will bring minor soccer players together for a weekend of matches that will see some teams qualify for provincials, is set to take place at the Cold Lake Energy Centre from Feb. 21-23.
According to Phillips, organizers are expecting 18 teams comprised of 275 players to compete in this year’s indoor Lakeland Cup.
There are three facilities in the soccer district that are capable of hosting Lakeland Cup – the Bonnyville C2, Cold Lake Energy Centre, and the Bold Center in Lac La Biche.
“Each of the three communities takes turns hosting Lakeland Cup,” says Phillips.
As stated by the Alberta Soccer Association, the 2025 provincials will be hosted in Red Deer and Edmonton from March 14-16. Phillips said many teams will practice up until that point.
In addition to league play, players within the Lakeland soccer district have also been busy participating in various competitions outside the area, since the beginning of the indoor season.
A total of 10 Lakeland-area teams attended the Polar Cup tournament, which was held in Edmonton over the Christmas break. On Jan. 4, members of the U17 and U19 girls’ squads attended a training session, lunch, and campus tour at Portage College.
Several teams from the Lakeland will be attending the FC Memorial tournament in Edmonton, Jan. 24-26. Some teams will also attend Slush Cup in early March.
After provincials finish in mid-March, minor soccer players in the region will wrap up their indoor season and take a break before heading outdoors.
“The outdoor season typically starts at the beginning of May but is dependent on the weather. Some years we get started a week or two earlier,” says Phillips.
