The old axiom of playing to the final whistle was perfectly illustrated by a new group of Okotoks champions.
Okotoks United staged a last-minute comeback with an equalizing goal with 13 seconds left in regulation en route to a 4-2 victory on penalty kicks to strike gold in the U15 Tier 2 futsal division to cap the opening weekend of the Anthem Communities Cup on Sunday.
“On this team, we really focus on resilience,” said Okotoks United coach Rachelle Gelden. “The game is not done until that final whistle and we do not stop and that’s something they can take with them through games like this.”
Okotoks’ Makenna Menzies scored the opener in the gold medal game and in the final minute struck the last ditch equalizer on a set up from teammate Charlie Burnham.
In the penalty kicks, Okotoks scored on four of its five kicks and saw goalie Mia Boyer force a pair of misses from West Hills United.
“They stepped up when it mattered and put it in the back of the net,” the coach added. “And they did so with a calmness that was really impressive.
“It’s such a mental thing as well, our keeper Mia did an amazing job.”
Impressively, the weekend marked the first competition in futsal this season for the U15 side, which plays in league action in the boardless 7v7 version of the game.
That means adjusting to new rules and style of play emphasizing passing.
“The home tournament always means more,” Gelden said. “Whenever they step out into tournaments they know they’re representing their team, their club and their community and they’re doing so on home turf. That means a little extra for them.
“We’re coming off Christmas break with two or three weeks off soccer and I think this is really what can inject some new energy into the season and see them through.”
Okotoks added a silver medal in the U12 7v7 boardless Tier 3 division. The five-team division did not have a playoff with round-robin standings determining the finishes. The hosts snared silver with an impressive 6-0 win over the Calgary Villains in the finale.
United also struck fourth place finishes in the U15 futsal Tier 2 and U11 boardless Tier 2.
The Anthem Communities Cup continues this weekend with the boys division taking to the field house as 56 teams in nine divisions take part in the event, including seven Okotoks squads.
For more information, go to Okotoks United's website.
