BY MIKE VIELMA
The navy blue soccer cleats worn by the Conestoga Condors indoor soccer team are back in the closet after the men’s team was eliminated at Provincials.
The team went 1-1-1 in the round robin on the opening day of the tournament
The women’s team finished fourth at Provincials with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Durham in the bronze medal game.
Coach Aldo Krajcar coached both teams and is extremely proud of their determination and resilience down the stretch.
He said they accomplished a lot throughout the season, but he believes the men’s team could have done a lot more damage if it weren’t for too many one-goal game loses.
Krajcar said, “We didn’t get blown out of any games, we just couldn’t score the goals we needed to..”
He said the team finished in about the same place as last year, except this year they had more of a talented group. The team captured the Conestoga Alumni tour.
He said the reason why the team didn’t live up to its potential was because of lack of attendance at the once-a-week practices. A lot of the players were absent due to prior commitments such as school work or part-time jobs.
Most indoor soccer teams throughout the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association practise twice weekly enabling them to mesh better.
“The difference between the team that finished first and us isn’t much individually, but (there is a big difference) in team play because they practise and practise.”
Krajcar always stresses that skill can wins games but teamwork always wins championships.
Next year Krajcar hopes to keep about 15 to 20 players for the indoor soccer team and plans to implement a new rule: if you don’t show up for practice, then you don’t play in the games.
He was unable to enforce it this year because the team lacked numbers when it had all its players, so if only five players showed up to practice, he would be forced to forfeit the next game. He wants to prove a point, not throw games directly into the loss column.
He said he will even kick players off the team next year if they miss too many practices no matter their skill level or contribution to the team.
“If someone wants to be an electrician the teachers can talk to you all day about the theory but in order to be a good electrician you have to practise.”
Krajcar said the men’s indoor soccer team is only losing about three players to graduation this year.
Next season the team will have more experience and have more time to view their teammates’ style of play.
Krajcar is always looking for players with flawless technique, tremendous speed and outstanding on-field awareness.
He encourages anyone wanting to play the beautiful game of soccer to come out to next year’s tryouts and to inform any future Conestoga students about the team.
Despite next season being more than nine months away, Krajcar, who has been playing soccer all his life and has coached for over 20 years, is just as anxious as ever to get next season underway.
“I am so excited for next season. My wife tells me I love soccer more than I love her. I tell her I love her 10 times more then basketball though.”
