One provincial championship, one medal.

Appearing in their first provincial championship, Jasper’s Under 16 girls soccer team captured the bronze medal, posting a 2-1-1 record in the round robin tournament in Beaumont on July 5. 

“I’m really proud of them. They worked so hard for what they achieved,” said head coach Molle Lalonde.

The surprise finish came as a thrill to the underdog Jasper squad, who continued a string of upsets to capture the medal.

Throughout the championship, the Jasper girls relied on strong passing and aggressive play to keep their opponents at bay. 

“They played fantastic. They passed really, really well and worked hard for every ball,” said Lalonde, a former division 1 player in Edmonton. “It’s nice to see them step up.”

Lalonde said the games were close, as the team disposed of Drumheller by a score of 4-2, and beat Fort Saskatchewan 2-1, while tying Sherwood Park 1-1. The team’s only loss came against the home team, as Beaumont defeated the Jasper crew 2-0.

Caitlin Cowan proved to be the team’s top goal scorer of the tournament.

Jasper’s record left them one point out of the gold medal game at the provincial championships.

Jasper was considered a surprise to reach the provincial championships, Lalonde said. The team qualified by upsetting Edson in the divisional championships on June 21. Lalonde said that win was huge for the girls.

“We were surprised. Edson beat us all year, and even though the games were close, they expected to be in the provincials,” Lalonde said.

The coach also praised the girls’ sportsmanship, mentioning that they took the win in stride.

Sweeper Kayla Carson, 15, was thrilled with the win, and scored a pivotal goal against Drumheller on a penalty shot in the tournament to rally her team.

“It was intense. We were down 1-0 and I just shot high and blew it by them,” Carson said.

“I tried to be aggressive and be the first on the ball and if I’m not, never give up,” Carsons said. “We play very well together.”

Team manager Della Carson was impressed with the team’s play.

“It was a great year for soccer. This was the first year the girls weren’t divided onto other teams,” she said. “It was a whole team effort.”

Many of the girls will be moving up an age class for next season, however the squad hopes to continue to build on the success of this season.

“About half of the girls are moving up to the next level,” Della Carson said. “I’m just really proud of all the girls.”