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Connaught’s championship team pose for a picture, following their big win to take home the city’s elementary soccer title. (Submitted photo/Kathryn Blanchard)
Championship Performance

Connaught School claims 2019 elementary soccer championship

Oct 19, 2019 | 2:00 PM

Connaught School defeated McKitrick Elementary in a clash of the heavyweights on the soccer pitch this week, to claim the 2019 Living Sky School Division Elementary Soccer Championship.

A game featuring some of the top Grade five and six soccer players from the Battlefords, the match proved to be a close contest throughout.

Connaught led the championship game 1-0 for most of the afternoon, until McKitrick battled back to tie the game late, with just about a minute left on the clock.

The turn of events led to a shootout with the city championship on the line.

Head coach of the Connaught team, Cindy Coupal, said watching the team pull together to take home the victory in extra shots was a special moment for the team, and one filled with pure jubilation.

“They were super excited,” she said. “[They were] jumping up and down and screaming, and I even had some glassy eyes, it was pretty exciting.”

Coupal, who has been involved with the school’s soccer team for about a decade now, said perhaps the most rewarding part of the experience was watching the group come together as a unit. She said it was their buy-in to teamwork that led the team to the championship this season.

“They’re youngsters, so basically what we teach throughout the whole season is the importance of teamwork, that’s a huge thing,” she said. “At some point we actually had a few practices without a ball, where we would sit in a circle and I would just talk to them and tell them each individually what they contributed to the team. They would look at each other and (appreciate how they work as a team).”

The championship caps off a successful season that saw Connaught post a 3-1-1 record over the regular season. The victory also serves as the school’s second city championship in four years.

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1

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