Hapnot Collegiate soccer coach Don Kirkham started a legacy nine years ago when he and the Kopper Kweens brought home the zone title.
The Kopper Kweens kept that winning tradition alive this past weekend as they defeated Thompson for their ninth straight zone title.
The Kweens joined the Kopper Kings on the road as they traveled to Thompson for a tournament that also saw the Kings defeat Moose Lake to take their seventh zone banner in nine years.
Gusts of wind, some snow flurries and temperatures just above zero made for an interesting day of soccer in Thompson last Friday, Oct. 3.
The Kweens and Kings arrived in Thompson as both teams prepared to take on Cross Lake.
The Kings defeated the Cross Lake boys 5-1 while the Kweens went up 12-0 over their less experienced opponents. The Kweens dialed things down to level out the playing field.
One of the highlights of the weekend had to be the wind shelters that the teams rigged up to keep themselves warm. It’s amazing what you can do with a soccer frame, some tarps and a bit of rope.
The Kings only played one game Friday. The Kweens prepared for their second match-up as they looked to Thompson.
The girls ramped up their game and came away with a 3-1 win. The game was up and down as Thompson had some good chances when they got in the Hapnot end.
The Kweens had success in getting the ball out to the wings and using their speed. The coaches were impressed by the play of the JV players who looked comfortable playing in a tight game.
Saturday morning saw the Kings up at 6 am to play against OCN. Despite the -4 temperatures, the Kings warmed up nicely and dispatched their opponents 7-0.
The Kweens had a better schedule and played later in the morning against Norway House. This was a good game to get everyone involved and shake off the stiffness from the day before.
The Kweens’ depth was a bit too much for the inexperienced Norway House squad and the final score was 11-0 for the Hapnot club.
The Kings moved on to the crossover game between the two pools, handling Easterville 10-0 in convincing fashion.
This put the Kings in the final, where they awaited the winner of the Moose Lake-Thompson game. Moose Lake won that playoff 4-0 with a nice display of skill, and the final pairing was determined.
The Kweens’ final was exciting in that it was perhaps their best first half of soccer of the year. The coaches worried the girls were a bit sluggish in the warm-up, but the players knew what they were doing as they were ready to go at game time.
Mackenzie McIntyre hummed a laser from the left side, Candace Whitford roofed another shot from in close and Hasana Church pretty well sealed the deal with a nice chip in – getting a touch on a good cross.
Thompson rallied a bit with a nice volley goal midway through the second half, but the Kweens got an “own goal” when Kelsey Mote’s corner kick went in off a Thompson defender.
From there, the Kweens shut down the Thompson attack and the girls claimed their ninth straight zone title.
The Kings went to work early in their match, building a 2-0 lead and coasting to an 8-1 victory. The Kings got strong performances from Travis Buick and a defense that turned back the majority of the Moose Lake attacks.
Goalkeeper Isaac Dufour-Jarvis was unlucky in that the lone Moose Lake goal was a long kick into a crosswind that snuck between the crossbar and his outstretched glove.
Tayler Kittle, Will Hatherly, Brandson Powell and Nick Novosel all turned in strong performances for the Kings, who captured their seventh zone title in the last nine years.
Both the Kings and the Kweens were working hard to prepare for Provincials in Winkler next weekend.
