By Scott Roblin

U13 soccer stars battle for Alberta Summer Games spots

May 13, 2018 | 4:19 PM

TABER, AB – Only the best of the best get to compete at the Alberta Summer Games, and that’s the prize that young soccer players from southern Alberta got to compete for over the weekend.

Sunday morning was the final day of try-outs for the U13 Zone 1 girls soccer team, who will be selecting players from Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Taber, Coaldale, and everywhere in between.

Audyn Mettauer was the lone Medicine Hat player at the camp, which saw 27 girls compete for spots on Team Zone 1.

Currently involved with competition on the track, she said she would focus solely on soccer if she got a shot at the Alberta Summer Games.

“It would mean everything, I would stop my track and field I’m playing right now,” said Mettauer. “Just to play on this high of an experienced team would be fantastic.”

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Zone 1 will be looking for a better result this summer after winning the consolation finals and failing to reach the medal round in 2016 in Leduc.

Head coach Frank Tucek said this year’s team will be focused on quick passing plays and transitioning out of their defensive zone.

“We’ll try to play more of a tactical game, lots of skill,” said Tucek. “They’ll try to play quick transition to the other side and hopefully they’ll put it into the net here and there.”

Many of the players families were on hand to watch the scrimmages on Sunday, as the 27 athletes were split into two teams and received instruction from Tucek and the other coaches.

“I think it’s an honour,” he said. “To make it up there and try to compete with the top athletes in Alberta, I think it means a lot to everybody from coaching staff, to parents, and I think all the associations we have here too.”

Waiting to hear back on her fate, Mettauer said she’s proud of how she played in front of the Alberta Summer Games brass.

“It was really hard, but I think I made a good impact while I was here,” said Mettauer.

Coaches will take the next few days to decide on an 18-player roster, while the 2018 Alberta Summer Games run between July 19 and 22 in Grande Prairie.