Canmore United capture soccer league title

CANMORE – Canmore United has reclaimed the league championship.

The top team won the Bow Valley Soccer League’s grandest prize following the final game of the season against Banff Springs ended in a 2-2 draw. However, due to overall league points, United edged out their rivals by one point and were crowned champions for the sixth time in 11 seasons.

“Both teams knew what they were playing for, so both teams knew that they were focused on trying to get a win,” said Neil Orchard, player/coach of Canmore United. 

“At one point, we were up 2-1 and then the Springs definitely came at us to tie it and then to try to win because they knew they needed a win … we knew we were safe with a draw, so we actually did change our line in the last 10 or 15 minutes to put on more defensive players than offensive players to try to preserve the draw.”

There are no penalty kicks in regular season match-ups.

United’s Christoph Bruckeder won league MVP and Golden Boots.

Canmore United, with a proverbial target on its back, rebuilt its team structure this year after losing the league championship in 2023.

Orchard said the personnel they brought on was a well-balanced squad, with its youngest player being 18 and the oldest being 54.

“We came back strong after last year’s loss of the season,” said Orchard. “We just had some new key players that were on work permits from Europe that definitely helped us secure a win for the season.

“It definitely makes a difference if you have more committed players that come to training and show up for the games and all that stuff.”