The Cochrane Cobras girls' soccer team overcame the Springbank Phoenix to successfully defend their Rocky View divisional title last night (Oct. 24) in Airdrie.

A goal at about the halfway mark of the second half gave them a 2-1 victory in a game between to evenly-matched teams.

Bryn White tucked one in the corner on a setup by Amy Schmidtke. The Phoenix scored the equalizer soon afterward. A high midfield strike by Bryn Barrett flew above the fingertips of the Springbank goalkeeper to give the Cobras the win.

Even with the lead, Cobras head Carolyn Mcleod says they were sitting on their hands on the sideline to calm their nerves.

"We felt good at the beginning, but we knew a one-goal lead was not going to cut it," she says. "Even at the end when we were up 2-1, we knew at any moment they could come ripping through the middle or from the outside and bury one in the back."

Grade 9 goalkeeper Maxine Hayes made a huge save to stop a drive by the Phoenix.

"Our keeper made an incredible save. She flat out dove, and just tipped it with the ends of her fingers to save a goal."

"Our backline was amazing and kept a lot of the shots to the outside and prevented a lot of them from even happening in the first place. Everybody on the pitch stepped up. They really wanted it today."

The Cobras seemed flat in their semifinal win over the Bert Church Chargers. It came just days after a tough zone final, where the Cobras won silver.

"They came out with a different attitude today and decided this is what they wanted. They wanted those t-shirts," says Mcleod.

"The girls are so pumped about beating a tough team like Springbank. They felt really good about their efforts out there and their commitment to the program. It was a really good season."

The Cobras practically have an even number of grade 9 to 12 players. Actually, they have one less grade 12 player than the other grades. It's a base they can build on next season.

"We have five grade 9s that are just unbelievable and played a lot of minutes in the final, just because we love their hustle, their energy, and their grit. We can play them anywhere and they're gung ho. They don't seem to notice they are playing against grade 12s."