The HCI boys soccer team took home the bronze medal over the weekend at provincials in Muenster, but not before suffering some heartbreak along the way.
The Mohawks opened the tournament, held on the grounds of St. Peter's College in Muenster, against Chief Poundmaker School. Controlling the game throughout, the Mohawks led 1-0 at the half thanks to a strike from Jared Giddings.
The second half saw the floodgates open, beginning with a goal from star midfielder Aidan Wickenhauser, followed by scores from Denis Yahnovich and Josh Renneberg.
The 4-0 win over Chief Poundmaker meant the Mohawks would advance to the provincial semi-finals to take on the side from Central Collegiate Institute in Moose Jaw.
The teams took the field in the early afternoon, buffeted by strong winds and chilled by temperatures that hovered around freezing. Several players wore toques or gloves to stay warm and the small group of fans on hand bundled up together.
From the beginning, the wind played havoc with the ball. Kicks died in midair and the trajectory of the ball was impossible to predict as it bounced and rocked through the air.
Most of the first half was defined by chances missed and opportunities lost for HCI. Wickenhauser hit the crossbar on a laser off his left boot and the Mohawks let several other chances to score get away from them.
Central Collegiate finally capitalized on HCI's missed opportunities late in the first half on a goal scored by striker Ibrahim Ali. Ali headed in a cross from the right side and the Cyclones took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The second half saw more missed chances for HCI, including a shot from Giddings that hit the post and caused head coach Brent Loehr to slap his leg in frustration. The Mohawks finally broke through on a goal from Wickenhauser, who scored off of a rebound after sustained pressure from HCI.
The game was tied and, as extra time became a shootout with still no resolution, the pressure on the field only rose. In the end five shooters from each side and the two goalies would decide the game.
The shootout was tied 2-2 as Wickenhauser, HCI's final shooter, walked up to the mark. It was perhaps not surprising, but still sadly ironic, when his shot banged off the left post. Wickenhauser put his hands on his head and looked skyward, perhaps asking the soccer gods why they were so cruel on that day.
Moose Jaw's final shooter scored and as they danced in celebration the Mohawks walked off the field, victims of bad luck as much as victims of the Cyclones.
"I'm just very proud of my guys," Loehr said after the game. "They have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about."
Even with the sting of defeat only a few minutes old, Loehr was already looking ahead to the next day's bronze medal game.
"We're going to regroup and try to bring home a medal," he said.
The next day they did just that in a 3-1 win over Regina Johnson. It was perhaps a bittersweet moment, but Loehr still sees bright things in the future for the soccer program.
"Boys soccer at HCI is a competitive varsity sport and the more players coming out next fall will only make our program stronger," he said.
Next year's team will have to do without their best player in Wickenhauser, who will be graduating in June. Still, there's a lot for Loehr and his players to be happy about, even if the sting of that shootout loss might linger through the winter
