One kick made all the difference for R.D. Parker Collegiate’s girls’ soccer team at the Zone 11 championships in Thompson Sept. 29, with a free kick in the second half providing the game’s sole goal and giving the Trojans a 1-0 victory over Hapnot Collegiate Institute of Flin Flon in the final.
Tressa McDonald’s free kick from midfield eluded the outstretched fingers of the leaping Hapnot goalkeeper and sailed in just under the crossbar to put RDPC ahead in a game in which they had many opportunities and kept advancing play into Hapnot’s half but had not been able to find the net up to that point.
RDPC’s best chance in the opening half was a penalty kick, but Emma Tomchuk’s attempt went over the crossbar and the game remained a scoreless tie.
The final was by far the closest game of the tournament for the Trojans, who started off their tournament Sept. 28 with a 6-0 victory over the Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre (HBO) Huskies from Norway House. Keashae Masters got her first of two goals on the game almost immediately after play got underway, with Jada Bull and Erica Anderson adding first-half tallies to send the Trojans to the break up 3-0. Emma Tomchuk had RDPC’s fourth goal in the second half, with Masters and Anderson following up with their second strikes of the game.
They followed that with an 8-0 victory over the Chemawawin Eagles on Saturday morning, getting a hat trick from Megan Szabo, two goals from Kendra Martinussen, and singles from Masters, Tomchuk and Morgan Johnson.
Provincials take place in Swan River Oct. 12-13.
