League1 Alberta Exhibition Series Celebrates Its First Champions

Friday, July 28th was a day to remember. The first League1 Alberta Finals were played in Calgary and St. Albert.

In the Men's Division, Calgary Foothills arrived at the Final unbeaten, with 6 wins and 2 draws. The team, led by Head Coach Jay Wheeldon, finished the Regular Season with a +15 goal difference. St. Albert Impact, on the other hand, had to wait until the very last game of the Regular Season to secure their spot in the Final.

The Final, played at Broadview Park in Calgary, was dominated by Foothills from the early minutes. A penalty scored by Moe El Gandour, Foothills' top scorer, started paving the way for Wheeldon's side. Another two goals from Charles Nana closed the deal for Foothills, who became the first League1 Alberta Men's Champions.

In the Women's Division, St. Albert Impact, coached by Dean Cordeiro, delivered an almost-perfect Regular Season campaign after 7 wins and just 1 draw, and an impressive +30 goal difference. Calgary Blizzard, led by Head Coach Diogo Raposo, finished the Regular Season with 16 points having lost 2 games, one of them against Impact.

The Final game was nerve-wracking. After opening the score through Alyssa D'Agnone, Blizzard's top scorer, the Orange did not have much time to celebrate, as just a couple of minutes later, a brilliant header by league top scorer Grace Mwasalla found its way into Blizzard's goal. 90 minutes passed with the score still 1-1, and extra time was no different. Noteworthy is the fantastic penalty kick save by goalkeeper Lauren Houghton. 

After another 30 minutes, it was time for PK shootouts. Blizzard were more precise than Impact, and with Houghton's help - both saving and scoring -, the first Women's League1 Alberta trophy went to Calgary Blizzard's display cabinet.

We congratulate all teams involved in this inaugural season of League1 Alberta, and look forward to an even more exciting 2024 season!