This term in 4v4 Mini Soccer, we had 14 teams hungry for a champ shirt. Each of these teams possessed a special set of skills that gave them a leg up on the competition – whether it was the youthful, energetic innocence of a first-year residence team who had yet to experience a UBC exam season, the worldly graduate student team who’s seen it all, done it all and lived to tell the tale, or the exchange student team who brought their spicy soccer (oops, football) skills from all over the world – which made the playoffs bracket this term a heated, high-level battle.
There were many champ shirt contenders in the Campus-Wide pool, and although there were only two teams in our Divisional pool, they were also well-matched. Going into the semis and finals last Tuesday, everything was up in the air, and would be decided in a few short hours. The champ shirts were neatly folded on the supervisors table as teams signed in, reminding them of the ultimate prize they could receive if they won.
Tensions were high as the Campus-Wide semi finals kicked off. Some incredible goals were scored by all four teams involved, but sadly only two could be declared victorious. It was an extremely tight face-off in both semis, with the Kiwis pitted against The Fluffy Bunnies and the Footsies facing off with CKOKC. The Kiwis youthful first-year skill and athleticism persisted over the Fluffy Bunnies, but not without a fight. The Footsies, who had the smallest roster we’ve ever seen and hardly any subs, put up a great fight against CKOKC, but in the end, CKOKC was victorious.
Kiwis – CWD Champs!
And so, it was CKOKC and the Kiwis battling it out for the Campus-Wide finals. Both teams had many players with competitive soccer backgrounds, and it showed through their fantastic ball-handling and wacky goals. A wonderful display of camaraderie started off the game, with both captains posing for a picture together, arms slung around each other. However, as soon as the kickoff occurred, the tension on the field was palpable.
On the other mini field, we had Levere et al., a UBC Psychology graduate team, and Multiple Scoregasms, a Kinesiology team, battling it out for the title of Divisional champions. Both teams were in it to win it, but also shared a lighthearted feeling around the final. You could tell that their main goal was to have fun and get some exercise in, which is just as valuable as a champ shirt! Either way, it was a close final for Divisionals as well.
Levere et al – Divisional Champs!
In the end, two teams emerged victorious in the 4v4 Mini Soccer League for Term 1 of 2019/2020. A big congratulations to the Kiwis, your Campus-Wide champions, and Levere et al., your Divisional champions, on two hard-fought wins! Wear those buttery soft, high quality champ shirts with pride!