By Nathan Kanter

Crusaders boy’s soccer to play for spot in provincials

Oct 21, 2016 | 2:00 PM

Not having to travel this weekend is certainly a positive for the Crusaders boys’ soccer team, who will play at home for a spot in provincials on Saturday morning against Chief Poundmaker.

“Our guys get to sleep in their own beds and get to go through their own little routine rather than waking up at six in the morning or sleeping at a hotel and staying up a bit later,” Crusaders head coach Shalen Fox said in a phone interview on Friday.

If the Crusaders come away with a victory, they will face the winner of Martensville and Se Se Wa Hum, but getting the one win means they’ve qualified for provincials in Prince Albert next week.

“We’re just thinking of Poundmaker. We’re not thinking of the second game, because we can’t think of that second game if we don’t get through the first,” Fox said. “Our boys know what’s at stake. I think getting a taste of provincials last year and winning our region – it’s a full 90 minute game rather than a 65 or 70 minute game, so our guys are mentally prepared for that, knowing that anything can happen at regionals.”

The team does have a couple of injuries at the moment, including Grade 12 Narcisse Mbwebwe, who hurt his knee while playing for the football team.

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Mbwebwe has only played in one game for the soccer team this season, so other players have gotten used to stepping up in the forward role.

“We had to change our formation, we had to tweak it a little bit,” Fox said. “In [Prince Albert] and in our home tournament we got to define our roles a little bit and I’m pretty sure everybody is comfortable with them now.

“Everybody got to step up and show that they can play having a majority grade 10 team. They gained experience by playing in the season so that was a big step for us moving forward.”

The tournament in Prince Albert last weekend was a mixed bag, as they lost to Carleton 4-0, lost a close battle to Se Se Wa Hum 1-0, and then beat Kipling 2-1.

Fox said they got better each game. There was just one particularly bad 15 minute span against Carleton, when the team allowed four goals.

“Probably five out of six halves we were in each game,” Fox said.

That slow start was likely due to arriving a bit late, so Fox has made sure the team knows to show up extra early on Saturday morning for the 11:30 a.m. game.

“I told them to show up at 10 o’clock,” Fox said. “Just to … make sure that they’re mentally ready and they’re physically ready because you never know what the weather is going to be like.”

Nathan Kanter is battlefordsNOW’s sports reporter and voice of the Battlefords North Stars. He can be reached at Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca or tweet him @NathanKanter11