Unbeaten in their first two games of the season, the Cochrane High School Cobras boys soccer team couldn’t ask for a much better start.
The team opened its Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) campaign on May 3, with a 3-2 victory over the Chestermere High School Lakers at Rangers Field.
Captain Chris Alain opened his team’s account from the penalty spot to make it 1-0 early in the game, before Johnny Kerr smacked a shot off the post from inside the six-yard box to confound the Cobras, who went into half-time with a slim lead over a determined Lakers squad.
The second-half was more of an evenly-contested affair with Chestermere clawing back, but goals from Dominik Zuczek and Mitchell Wright saw the home side pick up the three points to secure the win.
On May 5, the Cobras travelled to Monklands Park in Airdrie to take on the George McDougall Mustangs.
Goals from Zuczek (two) and Gordie West, helped the visitors to a 3-3 draw and a much-needed point to maintain pace with first-place Bow Valley Bobcats in the standings.
“You never really know what you’re going to get in a season,” said Cobras head coach Carolyn McLeod. “We expected the first two games to be tough and they were.
“We’ve had a couple guys missing in each of our games, so we haven’t been able to field our full roster yet, but we’re hoping that will happen soon.”
With 11 returning players and nine new ones added to the roster, the Cobras are looking to go one better on their South Central Zones finals loss to the Canmore Collegiate High School Crusaders last season.
“We have a good idea of our core,” McLeod said. “We’ve had to make some adjustments to our formation this year because of the guys who left, but we have strong players in every position, and different strengths in different areas that we’re looking to build on.”
Since there’s such a wide variety of ages and abilities in high school soccer, McLeod believes it’s going to take a bit of settling time for her players to get used to playing with each other and the physical demands of the game at this level.
“Some of the guys are used to playing club soccer where they play with people their age or a year older or younger,” she said. “Size isn’t so critical there, and skill is more homogenous at the club level.
“It’s quite an adjustment for many of the guys who haven’t played at the high school level, but we’re working out the kinks and will continue to build as the season goes on.”
Going into their upcoming game against Bert Church, the Cobras coach knows that with a short season her team can’t be allowed to take any game for granted.
“(Bert Church) had a really good game against Chestermere,” she said. “We expect them to give us a tough game. We’re going in there prepared for a battle.
“Everything has to be full focus and all cylinders firing.”
