Hapnot will have another Zone 11 title banner hanging in the school gym. The Kweens won the soccer zone title on home ground Oct. 2.
Both Hapnot’s Kings and Kweens played host to teams from around the north during zones last weekend, playing at the Phantom Lake Soccer Club and Foster Park.
The Kweens rolled through the preliminary round, defeating The Pas’ Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute (MBCI) Spartans 13-0 and putting up a 9-0 win on Norway House’s Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre (HBOIERC) Huskies. That would set up a date with Thompson’s R.D. Parker Collegiate Trojans, who went a combined 15-1 through their own preliminary round but who had lost to the Kweens at a tournament last month.
The final game Sunday started out even, but Hapnot gradually gained possession and put on pressure. Shanti Church opened the scoring with a chip off a corner kick that went just out of the reach of the Thompson goalie, giving Hapnot a 1-0 lead. The Kweens would not relinquish that lead.
The lead would be extended when Livi Playford got the last boot on the ball after a free kick and looped it into the net, with a pair of chances by Playford and Church shortly after almost extending the lead further. Hapnot would enter the half ahead 2-0.
Hapnot’s lead would extend further in the new half, with a chance by Kara Burroughs stopped by the Trojans’ keeper before Liz Cockerill pounced on the rebound. Another goal would come shortly after, thanks to Mackenzi Schwartz and a redirection from a Kweens corner kick.
Burroughs would finally score a goal of her own later in the half, then would score again on a long looping shot that made its way in from outside the box. Teslynn Beauchamp almost made good on a Maradona-like run through the Trojan defence, but was stopped by the last player back on D.
Goalie Gianna Watt was not busy but made saves when needed, including a tough chance for the Trojans late, but Church’s second goal of the game - a terrific volley after catching a pass, juggling the ball twice and hammering it home - made it 7-0 in the end.
The Kweens will now move on to provincials in Birtle and Miniota from Oct. 14-15.
Kings
Hapnot’s boys’ team came close to bringing home a second banner, but ultimately came up short.
In the opening round, Hapnot defeated both the Frontier Collegiate Raiders 4-0 and HBOIERC 7-0, drawing them into the zone finals.
The final game would be a date with a juggernaut - the Frontier Mosakahiken Grizzlies from Moose Lake. While the school has a smaller enrollment than schools like R.D Parker or MBCI, the Grizzlies entered the tournament as a heavy favourite, thanks to a combo of quality coaching and a series of exceptional Grade 12 players. In their first round, the Grizzlies beat R.D. Parker 3-0 and took down Cross Lake’s Mikisew High School Mikisew by a whopping 19-1 score. In an exhibition game earlier this fall against the Kings, the Grizzlies went home with a 7-0 victory.
Despite the long odds, the Kings struck first in Sunday’s zone final, with Hunter Hynes scoring an early goal for Hapnot and giving them a 1-0 lead. Another attempt by the Kings in the first half also ended with the ball in the net, but the play was called back due to an offside.
Moose Lake would respond later in the half, with a Grizzlies player taken down inside the box giving the visitors a chance from the penalty spot. The team would convert the chance and tie the game at one-all going into half.
An errant handball by a Hapnot player gave the Grizzlies a second chance from the penalty spot, which Ryan Buck would convert on and give Moose Lake a 2-1 lead - much to the delight of a group of family, friends and fans who made the trip to watch their team. Hapnot would get other opportunities - Kenny Morris would almost make good on a late cross, while Logan Simon would take two quality free kicks that would come up just short of paydirt. Hynes tried again from distance, but Moose Lake’s keeper stopped the shot. Despite the Kings controlling play late in the game, Moose Lake would hang on and take the banner, likely ending the Kings’ season.
Moose Lake will now advance to provincials in Rossburn from Oct. 14-15. The Kings may still qualify for the tournament as a wildcard team, but whether or not they will has not been announced.
