Westlock’s under-18 girls soccer team wrapped up its strong regular season with two games Sunday at home against Athabasca.
The first game ended in a 2-0 for Westlock, while the second game started at 3 p.m., with the result not available by press time.
Coach Kimberly Denman said the 2-0 win was another good example of how well the girls have played all year.
“It was a really good win,” she said. “The girls passed well and really communicated with each other.”
Leading the way offensively was Leah Doell, who scored both Westlock goals — one in each half.
Her second goal was somewhat of a fluke. Given a corner kick to the right of the Athabasca goal, Doell had to account for the wind in aiming her shot. She accounted for the wind just enough to sneak the ball just past the near post. When the Athabasca keeper tried to swat the ball away, she ended up directing it into her own net.
That goal also came after Westlock controlled the action for most of the half, with Athabasca only getting a few sniffs here and there of the Westlock end of the pitch. Overall, goaltender Alex Stockford was rarely tested, but came up big when needed.
In fact, Denman said Stockford had been doing that for her team all season long.
“I personally think she’s the best goalie in the district,” she said.
With the win, the girls hold a record of 6-2-5 for 23 points, tied with Smoky Lake on points but in second place because Smoky Lake has games in hand.
With the regular season now over, Denman said she’s seen a marked improvement in the girls’ play since Day 1.
“They’ve been playing better and better,” she said. “The improvement is clear. The more they play together, the better they get.”
Although the regular season may be behind them, the girls still have a lot of high-pressure soccer left to play, as they’re travelling to Edson July 6-8 for provincials.
“Provincials are going to be a big challenge,” Denmans said. “The girls play with a lot of heart and they play hard. They want to go and they’re eager to go.”
