Submitted
It has been a very exciting season for Stettler Minor Soccer Association (SMSA). We saw record numbers of registrations, particularly in the younger age groups, which provides ample hope for a strong future for our Association.
The U19 Female team began their season playing in the Central Alberta High School Soccer League (CAHSSL), partnering with William E. Hay Secondary Campus (WEHSC). They finished with a silver medal after losing to the defending champions, Lindsay Thurber from Red Deer.
In the last half of their season, they were undefeated in their six-game series against Rocky Mountain House’s U19 Girls’ team; the final three games of this series allowed them to qualify for Provincials in Cold Lake, July 7-9, where they represented the Central Alberta Soccer Association (CASA). Coach Brad Robbins says “The girls showed an incredible ability to compete against all of the top teams in Central Alberta… the experience of playing soccer and representing WEHSC against eight other teams was a terrific experience that pushed the girls to perform at their best each game.”
The U19 Female team played well and brought home a silver medal and the Fair Play Team Award.
The U17 Male team also began their season playing in CAHSSL. They won the B-Final trophy, defeating St. Joseph High School in Red Deer. At the Provincial Qualifier, they defeated the #1 and the #2 ranked teams, thus qualifying for Provincials in Cold Lake as well.
In Cold Lake, the team secured bronze and the Fair Play Team Award.
The U15 Girls had an amazing season playing against some very tough competition as they faced combined U15&U17 teams, ultimately winning silver in their division. At the Camrose Night Classic, they won a bronze medal. Their manager, Danneilia Bradford, noted “thanks to Stettler’s U19 Female team for being mentors to our U15 girls and for being a team that these younger girls can look up to, in both soccer skills and team attitude.” They headed to provincials too.
In Cold Lake, the team won bronze in provincial play.
The U13 Girls had a very successful and exciting season. They won gold at the Camrose Night Classic, followed up with a silver medal at the Wetaskiwin Spirit Cup. They also won their division at Provincial Qualifiers in Ponoka and represented CASA in Cold Lake. They followed up their qualifying win by winning gold in the CASA travel league.
At provincials, the U13 Girls won gold and the Fair Play Team Award.
The U13 Boys had a tough season but kept pushing and working hard, learning and growing as a team. One of their players ended up tied for third in their division for the number of goals scored this season, which is a fantastic accomplishment.
The U11 had five teams representing Stettler this season!
For the U11 Boys, each of the three teams worked hard and developed new skills. Of special note, U11-Reichart came second in playoffs, while U11-McDonell won a bronze medal in Wetaskiwin and finished third in playoffs. For the U11 Girls, U11-Saruga won silver at both Camrose and Wetaskiwin and finished second in their regular season. U11-Leschert brought home a bronze medal in Wetaskiwin.
The U9 age group had two travel teams representing Stettler. They played a weekly game against other U9 teams in Central Alberta and also competed in the Wetaskiwin Spirit Cup. Although they never had a chance to practice together (because each of the kids also played on their own Timbits team), they had a fantastic season, providing them with valuable skills as they look towards U11.
Timbits Soccer evenings were busy nights, with about 230 kids registered across the age groups.
In particular, the U9 teams worked through stations to develop their skills before their scrimmage games at the end of each night. The U7 and U5 teams had a more casual practice followed by scrimmage games. They finished their seasons with games against their parents, which delighted all of them. Special thanks to Tim Hortons for donating their outfits, soccer balls, medals and cookies!
Finally, SMSA wishes to honour and remember two outstanding community members by establishing awards in their names. We will be introducing two new awards for our travel teams – the “Janine Glasier Spirit Award” and the “Shelley Davis-Hall MVP Award”. More details about these awards and the winners will be announced on our Facebook page and our website, stettlerminorsoccer.com.
Congratulations to all of our teams on a great season. We are very proud of you all!