Bow Valley soccer girls sixth at nationals

EDMONTON – Three Bow Valley soccer players, playing for one of Alberta’s top teams, could almost taste the bronze medal game at nationals, but the math gods weren’t on their side this time.

The U17 trio – Mary Huggill, Sisi Steel and Stella Geestman – placed sixth at the Player-Development Program (PDP) Championship last week (Aug. 14-18) as part of the Calgary Rangers girls team. Up against the nation’s highest level of competition in that age group, the Rangers had a 1-2 record in the scouted six-team tournament.

“We completely outperformed expectations, and even though on paper we finished last, we are extremely proud and happy with the way we competed,” said Rangers assistant coach, Marc Geestman, who is a Bow Valley resident.

In the Rangers’ opening game, the Alberta underdogs dramatically upset the British Columbia champs, Langley United, 2-1, inspiring hope that a podium was within reach.

The Rangers faced Laval from Quebec in the second game, their toughest test of the tournament, and would go on to lose 4-1.

However, the bronze medal game on the Rangers’ minds, but then the “unthinkable happened.”

Tournament favourite Laval was decimated by injuries against Langley, losing three out of their four top players. The B.C. crew jumped on the situation and turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory.

“Then because of the goal difference, we dropped to the [five-six] spot,” said Geestman.

“We started to believe we were playing for a medal, and then the end result doesn’t feel as good.”

Playing against B.C.’s Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club, the Rangers lost 2-0, despite controlling much of the action.

Still, the PDP nationals felt like a “really big experience”, said Geestman, who added the Rangers had two main objectives.

“The biggest one was get there, and the second one was compete. We didn’t want to get embarrassed,” said Geestman. 

“If in advance of the tournament, we would have been told we would [have won one] game in that group, we would have taken it, but, sports are cruel,” he said.

Up next, the Rangers qualified for adult provincials, which takes place August long weekend.