Broncos 2 Queens 1
One wouldn’t blame RDC Queens head coach Dave Colley if he left the pitch Sunday afternoon a little more dejected than he would normally be after a loss.
Not only did the Queens drop a 2-1 decision to the Olds Broncos, which left them on the outside of the Alberta Colleges Women’s Soccer League playoffs, but it was the final game Colley would be on the bench for the team.
Colley announced after last season this would be his 17th and final year with the Queens.
“I don’t feel sad. Obviously I will miss it. I like the recruiting, the training and working indoors with the futsal. It’s a year-round job and took a big part of my life. For me it was an enjoyable part as you get to meet new athletes every year. But it was also the sad part in that you lose athletes every year.
“That’s the tough part of building a two-year program. It’s tough to build it so it lasts. But we’re lucky we have the nursing program and there’s getting to be more four-year programs. Hopefully they can continue to build a team to last four years rather than one or two.”
Colley, who grew up in Scotland before moving to Canada, joined the Queens in August 2000, under head coach Jerry Gerling.
“I was an assistant with Jerry expect for the one year I coached when he was away,” explained Colley. “I also worked with Dave McCarthy for a year before I took over.”
Colley has the personality to work with anyone and is willing to listen and learn.
“They taught me a lot,” he said. “Jerry taught me how to coach women as I only coached men before and I was a bit rough around the edges, lets say. Jerry mentored me and Dave taught me to be a bit sharper at times. I also learned from former players who came back to coach with us. All of them helped shape me.”
RDC will begin looking for a new coach and hopes to have one in place sooner than later.
“Whoever comes in I wish them all the best,” said Colley. “It’s a wonderful job as you’re working with young people, but also working for a professional organization here (at RDC) … it’s been a blast.”
Colley would have liked to walk away with a victory Sunday, but a devastating string of injuries did them in.
“Even some of the ones on the field shouldn’t have been out there,” said Colley, whose squad lost 2-0 to SAIT on Saturday. “Our captains for example (Krysten Strand and Chelsea Webster) were carrying around an horrendous amount of pain, but they wouldn’t give up. I have nothing but respect for those players out there who were injured.”
The Queens were undefeated until a weekend off for Thanksgiving changed all that.
“A week after Thanksgiving we get four injuries, all training,” he said. “And it got worse.”
The Queens lost both their keepers — veteran Jessie Stewart and rookie Kayla Kaip — at one point last weekend and used midfielder Kaitlin D’Arcy in goal. Stewart played the first half against SAIT before Kaip came in. Stewart was able to play again Sunday.
“Kayla got kicked in the face on Saturday and took several stitches and so we went with Jessie today as she’s a little more experienced and taller. Olds is a big, physical team and I figured we needed the extra size.”
Stewart could do little with the first goal as Emina Arima found the top corner four minutes into the first half. A string miscues resulted in Jamie Flett making it 2-0 a minute later. The Queens held on, despite facing the wind. In the second half D’Arcy made it close in the 52 minute mark. The Queens had several good chances down the stretch but couldn’t connect.
Colley had nothing but praise for his troops.
“They are a brave bunch … great to be associated with. We didn’t know who would be injured and we didn’t have the same lineup game-to-game. They had to adapt every game and generally they adapted like pros.”
Broncos 3 Kings 2
It was a disappointing finish to a disappointing season for the Kings, 3-6-1, as they dropped a 3-2 decision to the previously winless Broncos.
“I’m struggling to find a silver lining to that one,” said Kings head coach Wade Groenewegen. “It’s too bad we seemed to peak last week and simply weren’t in the right mind set this weekend.”
They also lost 3-0 to SAIT on Saturday.
Eric Porter scored twice and Kurt Timmons notched the winner for the Broncos in the 74th minute. Delbert Albert and Mark Ibbotson scored for RDC.
It was the final game for Ibbotson, who has been the team’s leading scorer forthe last four seasons.
“I would have liked a better result for him … he earned it,” said Groenewegen.
Danny Rode is a retired Advocate reporter who can be reached at drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com. His work can also be seen at Danny’s blog at rdcathletics.ca