The Cochrane High School Cobras senior girls soccer team is Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association’s 2013 South Central Zone champion. The Cobras blanked crosstown-rival Bow Valley High School Bobcats 9-0 Oct. 5 at Rangers Field to take the Zone banner.
“We never know what we’re going to get with Bow Valley,” Cobras coach Carolyn McLeod said. “We did have a tough couple of games against them in the regular season. When we were talking about the final and getting the girls fired up, they were so ready for that.”
The Zone title erases the disappointment of last year’s tournament, where CHS was denied their place in the final game for fielding players too young for senior girls soccer. This year, Grade 9 players were allowed to play. The lop-sided final score was a departure from the earlier contests the Cochrane schools played, with Cobras edging Bow Valley 2-0 in the regular season and 3-0 in the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) division semifinal.
“It really didn’t matter who I threw on the field. They all knew what they needed to do out there,” McLeod related. “Any one of them is ready to compete in any game. When they stepped on to that field, they wanted it more than anything.”
For their part, after downing Holy Trinity Academy of Okotoks 3-0 in the Zone semifinal, the Bobcats were playing on a short bench in the final.
“We were tired, it was a long weekend for us,” said Bobcats coach Marnie Anderson, who didn’t have forwards and midfielders Maddie Kaczur, Darby Thorogood, Darby Spence, Brenna Dishan and Kaitlynn Knight for the final. “I think we’re really happy with a silver medal.”
The Cobras, meanwhile, had 19 players dressed. Callie Morris (2), Taylor Rose (2), Carly Neis (2), Sam Fisher (2) and Nikki Cook scored the Cobras goals.
Five Cobras played their last league game for CHS, as Cook, Rose, Chandra Irvine, Vibeke Pederson, and Hope Shamla all graduate in spring. Cochrane High’s senior girls, who went undefeated in league play all season, also won their fifth-straight RVSA soccer division banner with a 3-0 win over Springbank Oct. 3 in Airdrie. Bow Valley just missed out on RVSA bronze, losing on penalty kicks to Airdrie’s George McDougall. But, in the loss to CHS, Bow Valley still took silver in Zones to give Cochrane schools a 1-2 finish in South Central Alberta.
