The Estevan Elecs were always going to have a hard time being able to compete against the best girls soccer teams from some of the biggest schools in the province and they indeed had a rough couple of games Friday.
But the season can only be considered a success given that most of the team had spent years away from the pitch and had to re-learn aspects of how to play the game.
The Elecs lost 11-0 to Regina O'Neill Friday afternoon in their second and final game after a 7-0 loss to the Swift Current Ardens knocked them out of contention for the title.
“I think preparation-wise we just stuck to the game plan when it comes to teaching the girls the skills we needed to play,” said Elecs head coach Stacy Murphy.
The team had good numbers with 20 players coming out to play this season but over half of them hadn't played since they were small children. Skill teaching became paramount for the coaches.
“But they picked up on them super-fast and... in preparing for provincials, they just had to stay focussed mentally. I think that the three of us (coaches) were more excited than they were,” Murphy said.
There was a big change in the way the Elecs played from the first day of tryouts to the way the season went. Murphy was assisted this season on the sidelines by Shannon Mack and Megan Lingelbach.
“We didn't have the outcome we wanted here (Saturday) at provincials but they have won games this season and they have scored goals,” Murphy said. “There has been the commitment and that effort.”
The other teams that played in the tournament were mostly from Regina and Saskatoon, as well as Weyburn, Swift Current and Prince Albert. In most cases, those teams also have the benefit of a league as well as the weekend tournaments the Elecs enter in. The Swift Current Ardens, for example, have won Moose Jaw's high school league nine years in a row.
This puts teams without a league like Estevan further behind in experience.
“It's a challenge but we have the adage, we're trying the best we can and they're doing the best they can,” Murphy said. “Our expectations have been met and their expectations have been met and I think that's the most important thing. They've... improved leaps and bounds from the beginning to now.”
Saskatoon St. Joseph won the event with a 5-0 victory over Swift Current Saturday. Saskatoon Centennial won the bronze medal with a 4-3 victory over Prince Albert Carlton.
The Elecs were also not used to playing at home.
“There's lots of jitters when you finally get to play in front of a hometown crowd and haven't played in provincials in 21 years,” said Lingelbach. “We tried to hype it up as much as we could. I think the morning (game) was just about getting used to the jitters and working through a few things. And the new teams.”
“They're all strong teams in 3A,” Murphy said. “And like Megan said, we'd only seen P.A. Carlton play this year. We hadn't seen any of the other teams coming in.”
