Our culture has always been about more than the game. For decades, we’ve believed that soccer is not just about developing skills on the field; it’s about building resilience, character, and lifelong friendships. Our pathway has produced players who thrive not only as athletes but also as outstanding people ready to make their mark in the world.
One shining example comes from the Foothills Athletics U18 Tier 1 girls of 2009, a group who proved that determination, teamwork, and belief can carry a team from humble beginnings to what was the very top of Canadian soccer for women at the time. Their story is a reminder that what makes Foothills special is not simply winning championships. It’s the journey of growth and the people players become along the way.
Enjoy this look back at a moment in Foothills’ history.
Reprinted From the December 2009 issue of Tech Talk
The Foothills Athletics: Living the Dream
Athletics’ Meteoric Rise to National Champs
The Foothills Athletics U18 Tier 1 girls ended their CMSA youth careers on a high note this past season by winning the Canadian U18 Championship. Heading into their final year of youth soccer, the team competed at the U18 Tier 1 division, only their third season at the Tier 1 level.
The core of the team started together at the U14 Tier 2B level in 2004. They were an average team that finished middle of the pack. By the time the team got to the U15 age group, they had finished second in the CMSA league, earning a silver medal. By U16 the Athletics were dominating teams across the province at Tier 2, winning the U16 Tier 2 provincial championship during the 2007 outdoor season.
Upon reaching U17, the Athletics applied for a U18 Tier 1 spot for the 2007-08 indoor season but were denied, even though they had proven themselves ready for Tier 1 play. League administrators believed that the team had yet to prove itself as a Tier 2 team. The coaching staff and the players took that setback as a challenge, and rather than complain about it, they went on to a 13-0-3 record as an underage team, and cleaned up in the U18 Tier 2 Indoor Provincial Championships scoring 19 goals and allowing just three in three games of round robin competition. The Athletics defeated Edmonton KC Trojans in the final to claim their second straight ASA Tier 2 Championship.
In the spring of 2008 the Athletics were finally awarded a Tier 1 spot for the outdoor season, and they finished with a 6-4-2 record, good for third place in CMSA Tier 1. This was a great result for a first year Tier 1 team. The Athletics went into the Indoor 2008-09 season, only their second season at the Tier 1 level, and finished with a 9-2-1 record, a CMSA Silver Medal, and an ASA provincial berth. The team showed well at the 2009 indoor provincials, earning a bronze medal.
Heading into the final season of CMSA play, the Athletics players and coaching staff had a goal: win ASA Provincials in Calgary and a place at the 2009 Canadian U18 Club Championships. As the word got out about their dreams and goals, other teams and coaches across the league snickered and said, “No chance.” One rival coach called the Foothills Athletics, “Nothing but a strong Tier 2 team”. These coaches did not understand the determination and commitment of the Athletics who simply kept working quietly toward their dream.
The Foothills Athletics girls started the 2009 outdoor season in dominating fashion, scoring 20 goals and only allowing three in the first three games of the regular season. It was then that the Athletics started to turn some heads – they were on a mission, and other teams and coaches took notice. The Athletics went on to finish the 2009 outdoor season with a 10-2-1 record, winning the league championship and earning a number one seed heading into the ASA provincials.
On paper, Edmonton SWU were rated as the top team in the ASA U18 provincial tournament. But the game of course is not played on paper, and a great match up would ensue with Calgary’s top seed meeting Edmonton’s top seed in the final game of the four-team round robin tournament.
The Athletics earned 1-0 and 2-1 victories in the first two games to earn six points, while Edmonton SWU claimed a 1-1 draw and a 4-2 win for a total of four points. The Athletics simply needed a tie in the final game to clinch the provincial title, while SWU had to win.
In terms of possession, Edmonton SWU dominated the final match against a conservative and defensive Athletics team. With the goaltending performance of a lifetime, Alana Swerda made six heart-stopping saves to help earn a 0-0 draw—the only point her team would need to win their first Tier 1 provincial championship and a trip to the big dance. An elated coach Colin MacKay stated, “I didn’t think we were going to get out of that game with the point we needed. I didn’t think Alana would stop them all, but she played the game of her life.” The dream was now a reality and the Foothills Athletics were headed to the 2009 CSA Club National Championships in Sherwood Park, Alberta.
The Canadian U18 championship tournament contained two groups. The Athletics were grouped with club champions from Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba. Foothills went through group play with a 3-0-1 record, scoring 25 goals and allowing only one! This earned them a spot in the BMO Canadian U18 Club Championship Final against the Burnaby United 92 team, British Columbia’s champions. Burnaby was also undefeated in group play.
Burnaby opened the scoring in the second half of the championship final and appeared to be heading for the gold. “We struggled to score,” said Athletics head coach Colin MacKay. “It seemed like one of those days when you do everything right, but you come out on the wrong end.” Foothills midfielder Chelsea Oddan had missed a penalty opportunity in the 16th minute, a rarity for Oddan, and the Athletics found themselves down 1-0 until very late in the game. “We hit two posts in the second half,” stated MacKay, “And I was starting to think our fate was determined.”
Finally in the 85th minute, Lisa Hickey evened the score and with one minute to play striker Sara Paul fired home the winner, crushing the hearts of Burnaby, and sending the jubilant Foothills faithful into hysterics. A dream season indeed!
Calgary’s starting XI featured Katrina Greenley in goal, a back four consisting of Luci Tansley, Kayla Mein, Kara Noel and Madison Pinder; midfielders Natasha Lombardo, Chelsie Oddan, Cassandra Dennis and Melanie Sunada with Paige Doyle and Sara Paul up front.
All dreams begin with a single step forward. The Foothills Athletics kept moving and theirs is a rare story not often played out: a second tier team who had to scrape and battle for respect, who just kept working hard, and who eventually, with a little belief and luck, earned their way to the top of the heap. From Tier 2 to national champions—not bad at all.
Thank you Foothills Athletics for writing what may be the greatest Foothills story ever told!
Coach Colin MacKay - from 2009 to 2025
Colin MacKay was the head coach of the Foothills Athletic’s 2009 national championship team. Today, he continues to shape the club as Operations Manager and remains a winning coach on the sidelines.
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