Something has to give when the hottest teams in the Senior boys soccer circuit collide with one another this week.
The Holy Trinity Academy (HTA) Knights improved their run of perfection in the Foothills Athletic Council (FAC) to four games after dispatching the Highwood Mustangs 10-0 on Monday night in High River.
The undefeated Knights will meet the defending champion Canmore Crusaders (4-0) tonight, May 15 at 4:30 p.m., at Okotoks’ Riverside Park.
“It’s the biggest game of the season for sure,” said Knights coach Tyson Fedor in anticipation of the Canmore tilt. “Whoever wins that game wins the league.”
Though offensive riches have been plentiful for the Knights this season, defence will be the point of emphasis against the Crusaders.
“They’ have a couple kids in the centre midfield that are highly skilled players and are going to try and take our guys on one-on-one,” Fedor said. “As long as we’re not diving in trying to make reckless challenges. I’d rather see us jockey and let them make the first mistake.”
In High River, midfielder Braden Barwich paced the Knights to the double-digit victory with a hat-trick from the rangy midfielder.
“We were just pushing from the defence and the defence was coming up and scoring some goals,” said HTA striker Sergio Espino, who got into the offensive parade with two tallies in High River. “I was just dribbling in one-on-ones and I got it past the keeper.”
Okotoks’ other member of the FAC’s Senior boys ranks enjoyed a banner seven days itself.
The Foothills Falcons’ bid for top of the table placement took a couple steps forward this week. Following a 6-1 shellacking of the Mustangs on May 8, the Falcons repeated the feat in their Monday night trip to Strathmore, handing the Spartans a 6-1 romp.
“The communication between the entire team caused us to really attack as a unit,” said Falcons coach Manoel Pequeno. “We controlled the game and took it to them and had that confidence that we were sort of missing from the beginning of the season.”
Falcons left-footed striker Jared Nudd potted four goals along with tallies from James Thomas and Jason Smith.
The Falcons opened the season with convincing losses to HTA and Canmore, but have steadily improved in every contest.
“Every game we’re gaining that confidence to work well as a team so we can gel together,” Pequeno added. “That’s what we’re doing.”
Foothills (2-2) hosts Notre Dame Collegiate tonight at Kinsmen Field in Okotoks at 4:30 p.m.
For full schedules and results go to foothillsathletics.ca
