It was a golden and record setting season for the U13 Ponoka Storm girls, as the squad added a provincial championship to this year’s list of accomplishments.
The squad went undefeated in the U13 Tier 4 provincials in Camrose the weekend of July 8 to 10, scoring 29 goals and only allowing one through the tournament, beating Stettler, Whitecourt, Morinville and Vegreville.
“We are extremely proud of this team of girls, many of which have been playing together since they were about seven or eight years old,” said Lonny Behm, Ponoka Storm coach.
“They had a dominant year, but that doesn’t just happen. It is the result of a lot of work, lessons learned over the past seasons and commitment to compete and continue to get better.”
The girls’ league season also saw that commitment bear success, as they won the league championship with a record 22 wins, one draw, and one loss. Over the course of the league season the squad scored 150 goals and allowed only nine against.
“What makes this team successful is each player brings something different that completes the others so well,” said Behm, adding that the team has predominantly first year U13 players.
This past winter, the girls finished seventh at indoor soccer provincials, but they are already getting ready for this fall’s indoor season with hopes to pick up on the competitiveness and drive that brought them provincial gold in the outdoor season.
In total the U13 Ponoka Storm girls won three gold medals this outdoor season, which included a Camrose tournament, league championships and provincials, and one silver earned at a tournament in Sherwood Park early in the season.
- Submitted by Melissa Burke, team manager