The JPII Girls soccer team brought their best to regionals, taking home a standout 4-1 victory over Eagleview before falling to the eventual champs from Se-Se-Wa-Hum. (submitted photo/Shalen Fox)

By Martin Martinson

On the ball

JPII soccer teams wrap up season at regionals

Oct 23, 2019 | 1:30 PM

The John Paul II Collegiate Crusaders soccer teams kicked off regionals over the weekend, as the boys team headed out on the road to Humboldt, while the girls team hosted their regional showdown in the community.

The Crusaders’ boys fell 1-0 in a shootout to Humboldt, while the girls topped Eagleview 4-1 in their first game, before then falling 5-1 to the eventual regional champions from Se-Se-Wa-Hum.

The JPII boys soccer team will see all but one of their players eligible to return to the team next season, ensuring a competitive club next year. (submitted photo/Shalen Fox)

Although neither of the two managed to advance to the provincial stage, boys coach Shalen Fox said there was still plenty to like about the season, with a good foundation to build on moving forward.

“I knew we weren’t as experienced as years past, but gaining that experience was what we were looking for,” he said of the year’s journey. “I think just the bonding is important because it is such a short season, the team really started to bond late in the season, so I think if we can bond a little bit earlier yet [next year] that could really pay off.

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The coach’s optimism is well founded. With just a single senior on the team this year, many of the key players from this season’s club will be likely to return next year, including 10 of the squad’s 11 starters.

Similarly, with just a pair of seniors on their roster, all but two players from the girls’ team will be eligible to return next season as well.

Head coach of the girls’ squad, Dee-Jaye Stebanuk, said she was proud of the team’s performance over the weekend, as well as their growth throughout the season as a whole.

“The girls worked really hard this year,” she said. “The first game we struggled with basic game play and procedure. By the end of the season they were communicating their plays, making some incredible shots on goal, and keeping up with the best teams in the league. We are looking forward to next year and the chance to continue to grow together.”

Stebanuk credits the girls’ success this season to their passion for the game and drive to improve each time they stepped on the field.

“The girls just wanted to play,” she said. “They wanted to learn the game and they wanted the chance to get out on the field and do it. They are such a great group, they absorbed everything they were taught and always left it all on the field.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1