The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It was a shorter than anticipated season for the Hapnot Kings as their soccer run ended last weekend in zones. Going undefeated in the round robin tournament, the Kings ended their season after a 4-3 loss against the host city, Thompson, in the final game of the day. The Kings played four other teams with four wins. Due to the lack of finals, the two top teams Ð Flin Flon and Thompson Ð faced off against each other for the win. Thompson took the banner and will be heading to Provincials next weekend in Swan River. The Kweens had better luck in the tournament as they placed first in zones to earn their spot to Provincials. Steve Lytwyn, the Kings coach, said overall it was a good season for the team. "It was a good season of ups and downs," said the coach. "It was cut short...but we did well until (the last game) against Thompson." Earlier this season, the Kings went undefeated in Neepawa last month. The following weekend, the Kings came home with a 1-2 record from Swan River. It was Thompson, once again, who earned the win over Hapnot. Over the course of the short season, Lytwyn says there were highlights. The biggest thing standing out for the coach was how well the younger players adapted to the field. "It was how well all the younger players integrated into the season," he said. As well, the younger players were able to play more games than he had thought. "I'm disappointed our season is over, but I think we did just (about) everything we could," said Lytwyn. With only four Grade 12 athletes on the team this year, Lytwyn is looking forward to next season already as there is a lot of potential. For the Kweens, coach Don Kirkham says he thinks this could be the year for Hapnot to bring home the Provincial banner. The girls brought home the banner last weekend from Thompson. Next, the team will prepare for Provincials next weekend. So far in the season, the Kweens have done well. "We only lost one game," said Kirkham, noting that it was a tied game that went into a shootout. When it comes to regulation time, the coach says the team is still undefeated. "It's another great season," said Kirkham. "The girls are playing well." Looking ahead to the competition for Provincials, Kirkham says the other teams don't pose a big threat to the Kweens, on paper. "The teams that we have on paper aren't as strong as previous years," he said. A big difference for the Kweens, who will attempt to overtake the other teams, is their playing style. "This year, we play as a team. Everyone plays together," he said. Making note that the defence on the team is relatively young, Kirkham says the hard work is starting to show off. "We're reaping the rewards," he said.
