Skip to content

Aurora soccer takes down Quicksilver in recent match

The ladies of Burman University (formerly Canadian University College) are back in the season after a winter break
77492lacombeexpressSoccer012215
CLOSE – Quicksilver player Trish Pizzey uses some fancy footwork to try and keep the ball away from opponents Hannah Hackett and Theresa Donkar of Burman University’s Aurora team.

The ladies of Burman University (formerly Canadian University College) are back in the season after a winter break and are eager to continue to build their skills.

The Aurora team took on Red Deer’s Quicksilver Soccer in the Collicutt Centre, and came out victorious with a score of 2-0.

The two teams took over the pavilion for an intense game of back-and-forth.

Assistant coach Jon Nichols was pleased overall with the game which took place on Monday. “It was a little scary in the first 10 minutes, but the girls rallied and came back and played some excellent soccer. It’s been a good season so far,” Nichols said.

“Our keeper really kept us in the game today, and she played some really good net. So that helped us win – if she can keep them out, and we can put one or two in, that’s all we need.”

Both teams worked at battling for the ball, with many shots taken on each goal.

In the first period, there was no action in terms of scoring points but there was some fancy footwork by the Aurora girls to maintain control of the ball.

This was one of the first games after the winter holiday break, and coaches said that the girls were feeling the pressure to get their game to where it was before break.

“Since we’ve been back from the Christmas holidays, we’re trying to get our cardio back. We’re trying to get our legs back. It’s a struggle, but that’s been our focus for the last two weeks. We want to get back to where we were before the holidays because I think we were playing a lot better,” said Head Coach Sam Asante.

According to Gabby Edmond, one of Aurora’s goal scorers for the evening, the game was competitive and her team worked hard for their win.

“Our game tonight was pretty intense, especially just because we’re still getting back into it from Christmas break. But we pulled it together, thankfully and did good overall.

I think we’ve all been keeping up and doing our part this season,” Edmond said.

Aurora’s girls were constantly trying to get shots in on their opponents. There was resistance from the Quicksilver ladies, and quality legwork on both teams. The game consisted of a number of back-and-forth instances of possession between the two teams, but ultimately, Aurora’s two breakaway goals led them to victory.

Kristie Dost, who also scored for her team, agreed with her coach that some much-needed cardio would benefit after the winter break. She said that the other thing her team is working on is delivering cleaner passes, and that they have progressed since last year.

The Aurora team also tries to maintain an interest in public services.

According to Asante, the team has travelled for the last three or four years to perform services in a different community than their own.

“We’re hoping to take a trip to somewhere in B.C. not only to play some soccer matches but to do some kind of service for one of the local churches. We also have plans for another church service at the Salvation Army Church in Wetaskiwin,” Asante said.

“Several years ago we did a fundraiser called ‘Goals for Afghanistan’. This was a brainchild of our then captain, Hannah Hackett. The girls got pledges for every goal scored during the season and the money went to build one classroom in an all-girls school in Afghanistan. They raised about $5,000.”

kmendonsa@lacombeexpress.com