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U16 girls fight through cold and wind against Ponoka

The U16 girls did the best they could on Thursday, May 15, but were eventually defeated by Ponoka with a final score of 5-0.
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Cassidy Praski keeps the ball away from a Ponoka opponent at their game on Thursday

The U16 girls did the best they could on Thursday, May 15, but were eventually defeated by Ponoka with a final score of 5-0.

The Ponoka side was returning a visit by Stettler the week before, when the visitors lost to the hosts 5-2 on Wednesday, May 8.

“We couldn’t be more proud of them, so that score is redundant to us,” said coach Kyla Praski.

It was about 6 degrees Celsius with a biting wind during the game, and Praski admits that the weather was a “huge hurdle” for the team, which already had five missing players and three injured ones.

“They were exhausted but didn’t complain; they just played through it all,” she said.

The cold didn’t stop the supporters, though: parents from both Ponoka and Stettler came out bundled up in blankets and gloves, and weren’t shy about cheering on their respective teams.

One tense moment came in the second half, when the ball bounced off the edge of the goal, and then right away was kicked toward the net again, but goalkeeper Jenn Hallet kept it from going in.

“Fair play, development and ensuring all the girls are learning positions they’ve chosen and enjoy has been our priority and we’re sure that’s the winning team every day of the week,” Praski said.

“That said, these girls have what it takes to bring home a gold or two before season end for sure.”