OLDS — Olds minor soccer teams are pumped as they prepare to host the Big Country tournament, which will determine who goes on to provincials.
That tournament will be held June 24 at Rotary Athletic Park.
The U11, U13, and U15 Mountain View United teams showed just how good they can be when they won two golds and a silver medal during the Camrose Night Classic Soccer tournament, held June 2-4.
The U11 and U15 teams won gold and the U13s brought home silver.
Olds Minor Soccer Association executive/technical director Ivo Tollner says the U15 gold medal game against Vegreville was a heart-stopper.
“That was a really exciting game because they were (ahead) 1-0 and then the other team made it 1-1 and then the other team was in front 2-1 and we made it 2-2 (with) two or three minutes to the end.
“Then there was a penalty shootout and we won it in (the) penalty shootout,” he said during an interview.
He said even days later, the U15 final still gave him “goosebumps.”
Tollner said the U11 and U13 teams also faced some really challenging competition.
“It was good for everybody because we wanted to get the kids some opportunity to play in (non) Big Country League games,” he said.
He said they learned what it was like to play with 11 players at the tournament, versus eight players in the Big Country League.
“It's very different game with three players less,” Tollner said. "They learned there a lot about managing their energy and playing kind of more efficiently.”
