Penalties paved the path to the provincial podium for Okotoks United.
Thanks to a Herculean effort in goal and two successful conversions, Okotoks blanked Foothills FC on penalty kicks (2-0) to win bronze in dramatic fashion at the Alberta Soccer U15 Tier I Boys Provincial Championships on Aug. 27 in Edmonton.
“We were much the better side and probably should have won by a couple,” said Okotoks United coach Matt Lumsden. “We just couldn’t put the ball in the net and then went to penalty shootouts.
“And our goalkeeper (Chase Braun) saved four penalties in the shootout, he stood on his head a little bit. It was a good performance from him and the team and they definitely deserved a bronze medal.”
Okotoks had to show its mettle to get into a medal game.
Facing a two-goal deficit and the prospect of a fifth or sixth place finish, United struck back twice in the final minutes through Carver Morris and Mathieu Batela to draw 2-2 with Edmonton’s BTB FC.
“We were actually 2-nil down with about eight minutes to go and our goalkeeper saved a penalty and we scored twice in the last seven, eight minutes to go through to the bronze medal game,” Lumsden said.
In the tournament opener, Okotoks shutout Calgary’s New Frontier SC 2-0 with Isaiah Paul and Bukhosi Ncube finding the back of the net.
BTB, a strong academy with two teams in the competition, edged Okotoks 3-1 in the second game of round robin.
“We were 2-1 down with about 10-15 minutes to play and pushing and then they hit us on the counter in the last couple of minutes, but it was a really good game,” Lumsden said. “They were disappointed after the second game to run the top team in the tournament and one of, if not the, top team in the country real close.
“But with the comeback on day three and the bronze on day four, they left in high spirits.”
Lumsden said the core of the team has played together since they were seven, eight years old and boast a strong team culture and spirit.
“The boys are happy to represent Okotoks,” he said. “And it was a real good opportunity for us. We don’t get many teams that compete at that higher level.
“They came close and were probably the closest our club have been to going to a national championships.”
Also in Edmonton, Okotoks United earned an eighth-place finish in the U17 Tier 1 Girls event.
Following a strong tournament earlier in the month in the U.S., the team has been battling injuries and illnesses and saw their roster limited at provincials as well.
For more information, visit okotoksunitedsoccer.ca.
