Pincher Creek hosts soggy U16 Soccer Tournament

Pincher Creek vs Elkford at the U16 Soccer Tournament
Josh Davis photo

Josh Davis, Pincher Creek Voice:


On June 23, 2012, Matthew Halton hosted its U16 Soccer tournament at the Matthew Halton field. In attendance were teams from Pincher Creek, Sparwood, Elkford, and Fort Macleod. The sky was overcast, and the rain was an increasing factor in the day’s games.

The red clad Pincher Creek played their first game of the morning against purple Sparwood. The field was at its driest this game, as the rain had not yet started in earnest. Pincher Creek was clearly outmatched in this game, getting shut-out 4-0 by their Sparwood opponents. They lacked teamwork, and spent most of the game defended their own side of the field, apparently disheartened from the moment of Sparwood’s first goal.

They fared slightly better in their next game against the red/blue clad Elkford early in the afternoon, scoring the first goal of the game. However, Elkford pushed back and managed to turn the game around, with it ending 4-2 for Elkford. It was during the last 5 minutes of the game that the rain started really pouring in, a trend that would continue throughout their entire third game.

Pincher’s final match of the day was against Fort Macleod, dressed in purple. The field was incredibly slick, with many players from both sliding and slipping throughout the game. Pincher’s U16 players valiantly pushed on despite these conditions, winning the game 3-1.

Brent Woodard, Contributor:

The Crowsnest Pass and Sparwood had the last game of the day on Saturday. They were seeded first and second in the league, and as the tournament developed they were both about tied going into the last game. The game was played in the pouring rain. Some commented the game should be delayed to another day, but it was instead moved to the Sproule Field which is well designed, especially for a lot of water. The youth didn’t seem to mind, and the parents either stayed in their cars or stood under umbrellas. The Pass won the game 1-0, taking Gold, Sparwood taking Silver.

The Pincher Creek team placed 4th out of five.