Practice makes perfect for U13 team

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This article was published 24/09/2015 (3687 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a good year for the Phoenix FC U13 girls.

“It was a great year for the girls,” John Hudohmet, head coach, said. “I think we had a very good season.”

Hudohmet had previously coached the girls’ indoor team this past winter, many of whom continued onto the outdoor squad for the summer.

“The big change is the 13-year-olds start to play on a big field, 11 versus 11,” Hudohmet explained. “It’s a change in system, field size, and then learning your positions.”

The Phoenix FC U13 girls had a large roster of 18 girls, which Hudohmet said worked out well for them, as the beginning of the season they were faced with a series of injuries.

“We played well enough that we had a good record, even with those early weeks,” he said. “The second half is when we had the stronger schedule. Our division was strong. Not only do you play 13-year-olds, you play the Premier 2 teams, which include 14-year-olds.”

Practice made perfect for the Phoenix U13 girls team, taking every free opportunity to hit the soccer pitch to get work on the fundamentals.

“We were fortunate we had a good squad who were able to learn a lot,” Hudohmet said.

Despite some heavy competition from FC Northwest and Bonivital squads, Phoenix FC was able to hunker down and take the league championship.

“We had a very strong 18 and that’s what pushed them over the top,” Hudohmet said. “FC Northwest and Bonivital were pretty strong, though all teams were good.”

On top of the league title, the Phoenix U13 girls also took home the Cambrian Challenge Cup for city champs against FC Northwest. Phoenix beat their crosstown rivals 2-1 at the Winnipeg Soccer Complex on Sept. 20 to capture the cup.

While a few of the Phoenix girls made the provincial team for their age category, Hudohmet believes that the whole squad contributed to their success.

“When I think back on the whole year, the scoring was pretty spread out,” he said.

Apart from their two big wins, Hudohmet said that one particular highlight of the season took place during the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“We played some games against U.S. teams who came up to watch,” he said. “It’s always fun, especially when you beat them!”

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