3 minute read
A Winning Year for VMSA
A Winning Year for VMSA
Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent
The Vegreville Minor Soccer Association (VMSA) competed at the June 13-15 Lakeland Tournament in St. Paul, where the U17 Girls United, consisting of Vegreville and St. Paul, won gold medals. The U19 Girls United (Vegreville/St Paul/Vermilion) took home Silver, and the Vegreville Thunder U15 won bronze medals.
The U17 Girls United also competed at the 2025 Outdoor Provincial Championship at Leduc on July 4 to 6 where they took home Silver medals.
Coach for U17 Girls Juan Carlos Hernandez expressed he was very proud of the girls’ achievements this season where the team was made up of two different towns, but despite this, the girls came together and supported each other constantly. This helped foster a united, strong and resilient team that was always committed to putting time and effort.
Hernandez went on to share that the gold medal win in the Lakeland Cup was a demonstration of the team’s hard work. “Despite some of the decisions that were out of our control, the girls were ready to accept whatever was to follow. Both games they gave it their all which led it to being decided in penalty kicks. The players motivated and supported each other during such a nerve wracking time.
The Provincials were a big challenge that the team had to face since we were up against bigger teams. However, the girls' dedication and unity allowed them to obtain the silver medal. As coaches, we would like to express gratitude to the parents that throughout the entire season, they made sure their players could attend games and practices. They played a crucial role in the girls’ success.”
Coach for the U15 Boys, Stephanie MacComish, said they had a great season, finishing second in league games with three wins and one loss. “Camrose Night Classic was a lot of fun! We walked away with a silver medal that weekend!
Lakeland Cup is always a challenge - we just couldn’t get the ball into the net enough in a couple of the games, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying! The boys all played hard that weekend, and I’m proud of how they all worked together as a team and encouraged each other, even during the difficult moments. This is my third year coaching most of them, and they are just a great group that makes it a lot of fun to coach!”
On how the season went, Registrar and Communication Director for VMSA Shelley Berry expressed that one of their biggest highlights this season was having “Revolution Soccer” from Ontario come and do “In Season Training” with their professional coaches for their U5-U11 Teams; the kids loved it when it was held from July 8 to 10. “Alberta Soccer changed the U13s this year from 11 vs 11 to 9 vs 9, with smaller fields and nets, so that was another big expense for all soccer clubs. We also have a new Soccer Park sponsor and are now called Full Throttle Soccer Park!”
