Knights FC are going into the upcoming soccer championships on a high-note.
The Holy Trinity Academy Knights boys soccer squad blanked their nemesis the Canmore Crusaders 4-0 last week in the Rocky Mountain city — the ideal pick-me-up for the South Central Zone tournament in Cochrane May 24-25.
“In the five years I have been at HTA, I don’t recall ever beating Canmore,” said Knights coach Tarik Misho. “It’s huge. Canmore has set the bar so high. For us to get that result it was so encouraging.
“It kind of sends a message to the rest of the zone, because of the reputation Canmore has.”
It was no fluke.
The Knights had proved earlier in the year they could compete with the Crusaders when they tied the squad 1-1 in HTA’s first game of the season.
The tie was the only blemish on the Knights record.
HTA has seven new players on the team from last season and the entire squad has started to gel.
“We are a defence first team,” Misho said. “We have only allowed two goals in our five league games this year.”
The Knights have received outstanding work in net from Grade 11 Carson McKenzie, who is much improved from last season.
“He made three incredible saves that set us apart from Canmore,” he said. “It would have been a different game without those.”
He said Cole Fieseler and lacrosse player Carter Walker have been rock solid.
“It’s been a great reliable back-line and we are so comfortable back there dictating things,” Misho said.
Offensively, David Bowers has led the team with six goals, including one in the win over Canmore. Veteran Sebastian Nowak returned to the line-up after an injury and scored two goals against the Crusaders.
The Knights may be confident, but there is are some unknown at zones. The schools from Cochrane -- The Bow Valley Bobcats and the Cochrane Cobras.
“Last year it was my first trip to zones and we saw Cochrane being very strong and Bow Valley has become this powerhouse of soccer as well,” Misho said.
Canmore beat Bow Valley in the finals last year.
He said Brooks can also be strong.
“There are a lot of teams to be wary of at zones,” Misho said. “It’s a big boost that we beat Canmore, but it doesn’t mean we are guaranteed anything.”
While the Holy Trinity Academy Knights are going in to zones on a high, the Foothills Falcons may have to regroup a bit.
Foothills was dumped 4-0 by Strathmore on May 17 but held their own in a 2-0 loss to Crusaders earlier in the week.
“We need to play a little smarter at zones,” said Falcons coach Jeff Seaborn. “When we make mistakes it really costs us. We have to be stronger on our attacks.”
The Falcons were missing David Kent-Canalejo in their loss to Strathmore last week.
“He controls things and helps settle us down,” Seaborn said. “Our third of our team is new.
“I think we have a better gelling team than last year, with more discipline.
“But we still have room to grow as a group.”
Despite the setbacks of last week, Seaborn is cautiously optimistic about zones — playoffs is a whole new season.
The Falcons and the Knights are both in Pool A for zones with Cochrane and Didsbury.”
To see the schedule go to this story at westernwheel.com
