NC boys, KW girls take Soccer Cup
by Elysia Conner
As the Mustang varsity soccer team practiced in the sleet on the evening of April 30, they were feeling confident about winning the Soccer Cup.
The boys from Natrona County High School had not taken the trophy since 2004, and they were up against the undefeated Kelly Walsh Trojans.
The Mustangs are a young team with seven freshmen, four each of sophomores and juniors, and only three seniors. The Trojans will graduate 12 this year.
NC coach Dan Wright already was proud of them before they won the game 1-0 on May 3.
“They are a whole new team,” he commented about their improvement over the season.
“If we come out aggressive, we have a good chance of winning,” said forward Dan Zeitner at practice.
“We were a young team this year, and there’s no reason they can’t do it again,” is what senior defenseman Chris Jorgensen said about NC keeping the Soccer Cup trophy next year.
NC played well on Saturday, and their win means they will go to the state tournament.
The Kelly Walsh Trojans already had secured their chance to compete for the state championship, and were already first in regional standing.
They knew it would be a stretch to keep their undefeated record this year, and the loss was a minor disappointment.
They are looking ahead to remainder of a great season.
“It’s better to lose now than later,” said coach Bryan Chadderdon.
According to the coach, they are excited about regionals and have a good week of practice planned to move toward the championships.
“It makes us think about how hard we have to practice and what we have to work on in the next two weeks,” said senior leftback Eric Zespy.
Lady Trojans emerge victorious
Another formerly undefeated record was that of NC’s varsity Fillies.
The goalie position is especially strong this season. Despite a turnover of three players before Melissa Heck settled in to the position for the season, only two goals were scored against the team all season.
Goalie Ashley Akers said she was extremely upset when she injured her thumb and had to give up her post at the net for one on the field.
However, she tries her best to contribute even in a position that she doesn’t consider her forte.
The KW and NC girls fought it out at the Casper Cup for the first-place spot in the region. The girls from KW came out on top, 3-1.
Senior forward Sarah Gillett, a four-year varsity player, said she felt good about making the second point for the team, with her first ever score in a Soccer Cup match.
She said KW was pumped for the game after watching a video that coach Jerry Realing created for them.
Realing said he set the words he had been telling them all season to music.
Gillett and her teammates agreed that it was very inspiring.
Sophomore Aly Neely said the most memorable part of the message was the advice to play for the team and not for the trophy.
Music is a team tradition for the KW girls, who “put on music and jam out and dance” before games, according to Gillett. One song they really get into is “Follow the Leader” by Soca Boys.
Realing was impressed with the team.
“They played with heart, intensity, commitment and pride,” he said.
The Soccer Cup had been rescheduled twice before the weekend due to May making its entrance with a blizzard.
The teams had been slightly worried about weather conditions, and were relieved by the mild skies on May 3.
By then, the four teams were more than ready to take on their cross-town rivals, and the fans in the bleachers also seemed particularly loud and exuberant in their support.
E-mail Elysia Conner at elysia.conner@casperjournal.com.