Stettler’s U-14 boys returned triumphant from Ponoka on Wednesday, May 14 after defeating the home side 4-2 in an intensely contested game.
The game started with a shock for the Ponoka side when the Stettler offense scored within a minute of the kick-off with a long shot from outside the penalty area. As the hosts were reeling from the impact of the first goal, the visitors scored another one within the first ten minutes, taking a 2-0 lead.
It was after that second goal that Ponoka defense started to pull themselves together and started to get organized while Stettler boys kept their attacks. Ponoka offense made their first appearance in front of the Stettler net towards the middle of the first half. But that didn’t stop Stettler offense from trying to score and thanks to their superior dribbling and ball control skills, they continued to keep the ball in their possession and attempt to create scoring opportunities. The efforts of the Stettler boys paid off and they scored two more goals as the halftime break approached.
But Ponoka side was not in the mood to give in and they finally struck within the last two minutes of the first half when they were awarded a penalty and the players went into the break with scoreboard standing at 4-1 for the visitors.
The second half of the game was a different story. Helped by the change of the goalkeeper, Ponoka boys started to come stronger to the Stettler net and they managed keep possession of the ball more than the visitors. Their attacks allowed the Ponoka Storm to win several corner kicks, creating scoring opportunities. In one of those positions, a Stettler player stopped the ball from going into the net by hand and was sent off by the referee, who awarded the hosts the second penalty shoot of the game. The penalty was successfully converted and the game ended with the 4-2 score in favor visitors.
Stettler FC U-14 currently stand third place after two Camrose teams with nine points and they play their next home game on Monday, May 26 against Camrose at the RCMP field.