James McCarthy/NNSL photo
Four indoor soccer teams from Hay River had a very good weekend at the recent Senior Super Soccer tournament in Yellowknife.
Three of the teams from Diamond Jenness Secondary School claimed A division banners, while another team played its way into the more competitive AA division.
"That was a very successful weekend for DJ for sure," said Heather Coakwell, one of the coaches for the girls' teams. "It was great."
Both the Under-15 and Under-16 girls' teams won A division banners at the tournament, which was held from May 1 to May 5.
The U-15 girls won their final game against a team made up of players from Fort Liard and Fort Simpson to claim a banner.
The U-19 girls' team won its final game against St. Patrick's High School of Yellowknife.
"There were quite a few teams from all over the place," said Coakwell. "It's a very big event."
She was very pleased with the showing of the DJ girls.
"It was a great tournament," she said. "For some of the girls who are graduating this year it's their last tournament and I've been coaching them since they got into DJ back in Grade 8. So it was a very big emotional kind of weekend. It was great."
Coakwell said the girls were committed to soccer this year, and had worked hard and were in good shape.
"It's just been a good group all year round," she said.
Christy Schwartz, the other coach of the girls' teams, was also "absolutely" pleased with their performance.
"They helped each other out when they needed to and worked as a team," Schwartz said.
Samantha Goodwin, a player on the U-19 team, said it was really cool to bring home a banner.
The 17-year-old Grade 12 student said the team had good chemistry.
"It was nice flowing," she said of the team's play. "We were passing really well. We're really good with communication. We're just a good-flow team. We all get along with each other and we're all friends."
The DJ team also included two players from Ecole Boreale.
Goodwin scored two goals in the team's final game, which was a 4-0 win.
"It was a very good game," she said. "I definitely enjoyed myself."
The Under-15 boys' team from DJ also won a banner.
"We won the final in the A category in a shootout," said Phil Goguen, a Grade 8 teacher at DJ and one of the team's coaches along with fellow teacher Peter Beaton.
The U-15 boys played against St. Patrick's High School in their final game.
"We scored late in the first half, and it was 1-0 until the last minute of play and then St. Pat's scored," said Goguen. "I think there was maybe one minute left in the game."
The coach said the final game was really intense.
Goguen credited the players' consistency in coming to practices and their great attitudes for their successful tournament.
The U-19 boys from DJ made it to the AA division as a result of their solid play in the tournament, but they lost in a semi-final game.
Under the system used at the tournament, the teams are divided into two tiers after a round of play. The top teams move into the AA divisions, while the other teams play in the A divisions.