After dominating the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) soccer scene for many years, the Cochrane High School Cobras have had to settle for third-best this season.
Coming off a tough 3-2 loss to the George McDougall Mustangs in the RVSA divisional semi-final on May 31, the Cobras bounced back in the South Central Zones tournament held in Canmore over the weekend where they won bronze in an 8-1 mauling of Holy Trinity Academy.
One the back of that win, the Cobras took to Monklands Field in Airdrie, Tuesday, to face the Bert Church Chargers – a team they beat 3-2 on the opening day of the regular-season.
The Cochrane High squad braved the blistering heat and their own mental and physical fatigue to win 3-1 and capture a second bronze medal for the season.
“We’ve had a strong year, winning the regular-season title, but our finish has been full of bad luck,” said Cobras head coach Carolyn Mcleod. “It’s been tough, but every team goes through it. We can put it down to bad timing and being unlucky.”
The team can however take pride from their final game of the season, as they brought the curtain down in a respectable showing, with Gordie West, Spencer Marchand, and Johnny Kerr on the scoreboard for the Cobras in a game that never looked like being out of their reach despite some spirited fighting from a defiant Chargers side.
“We were missing a few guys with injury, and had some guys playing out of position,” Mcleod said. “We missed players like Dominik Zuczek, which was evident.
“He is a top-notch player who seems to play like three guys on the field. We really felt that loss and it affected our overall game, because we had to mix and match.”
When asked what the difference this season was compared to previous years where Cobras have run away with the RVSA, Mcleod felt it came down to having different and younger players than in earlier campaigns.
“We’ve had fewer dedicated soccer players than in the past,” she admitted. “Almost half the team is football or volleyball guys who are learning to play on the pitch. That can carry you through a lot of games, but when you get to an organized side like Bow Valley or Canmore, it doesn’t cut it.
“The pace and turn is too quick and they can’t step into the roles. As athletic as they are, the touch on the ball isn’t there.”
Despite a modest showing this season, there is no doubt the team will come back stronger next year with core players such as the Zuczek brothers (Adam and Dominik), as well as Mitchell Wright returning to lead the next generation of players to glory.
“Every year is a different scenario,” Mcleod said. “We’ll build around our core and see what we can come up with.
“That’s the beauty of this game, every year is a fresh start.”
