Ardens win 11th straight league title
The Swift Current Comp. Ardens continued their incredible championship run with two playoff wins last week to clinch an 11th consecutive Moose Jaw High School Soccer League championship.
The Ardens defeated the Weyburn Eagles 6-1 in the semi-final on Tuesday in Moose Jaw in some miserable snow and rain as field conditions limited both teams’ skill and pace.
Jasmine Temoshawsky earned the win in goal as the Ardens held off the attack-minded Eagles for most of the 90 minutes.
Captain MJ Anderson led the Ardens with a hat trick, while grade 12 striker Jannae Carlson finished with three assists.
Jaycee Berggren, Ilyssa Dyck, and Tenille Willows also scored. Taylor Kohls and Hailey Klimm added assists.
The Ardens clinched the championship with a shutout win on Thursday when they faced a well-organized Moose Jaw Central Cyclones team and won 3-0 as Temoshawsky earned the shutout.
Carlson scored the first two goals, the first on a shot from distance and the second on a loose rebound. Rookie Ali Metke slammed home a cross for a 3-0 lead before halftime.
The Ardens had their share of chances in the second half but were held off the score sheet.
Anderson, Olivia Koebel, and Jaycee Berggren picked up assists in the win.
“It was a frustrating outing for both the players and coaches,” said Ardens head coach Steven Mah. “Central was very determined to slow down our attack, committed a lot of bodies behind the ball, and were well organized in the defensive end. Fortunately we broke them down for three quick goals, which gave us some breathing room as our finishing was very poor in the second half.”
The Ardens are now 10-0 on the season as they enter the provincial playoffs.
“We have had a very good start to the season,” said Mah. “This may not be the most talented team we’ve had over the past 15 years, but we have good depth on our roster, no glaring weakness in any position, and we really battle for the ball and grind teams down over 90 minutes.”
The Ardens will be in Weyburn for Regionals this weekend. They will require a top-two finish at the four-team event to qualify for 5A SHSAA Provincials the following weekend in Saskatoon. Ardens’ striker Jannae Carlson (top) took advantage of a rebound to convert her second goal during the league championship match on Oct. 10 in Moose Jaw.
The SCCHS Ardens clinched an 11th straight Moose Jaw League championship on Oct. 10, 2019.