Quinteros and Queens blank Thunder for ACAC bronze

Brent Forster - Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics

Red Deer, AB – One goal was the difference in Saturday's Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Women's Soccer bronze medal match between the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens and Concordia University Thunder.

With every play magnified, the Queens received a timely goal from Estel Quinteros, earning a 1-0 decision and ACAC bronze.

"The game was great. Concordia is a strong team," said Mahziar Peyrow, Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Soccer Head Coach. "Franco [Imbrogno] is a great coach and we knew it would be a tough game."

The first half began like a chess match with both teams making calculated decisions and giving up little to their opposition.

With about 15 minutes left in the opening half, the Queens had the best opportunity to break the deadlock. Stettler's Alisha Coules raced in alone on the Thunder's goalkeeper Monica Dickson and had the left corner targeted, but Concordia's third-year Bachelor of Arts student made a nice save with her outstretched hands.

Coules (9)

Both teams tried to ignite their offences in the latter half. The Thunder had a quality chance about 10 minutes into the second half, but Queens goalkeeper Danyelle Bouvier charged out of her net and cut down the angle, making a nice save.

In the 73rd minute, Queens first-year Estel Quinteros broke the stalemate. 

"I didn't want it to go to a penalty shootout, so we needed a goal," said Peyrow. "I switched Estel from the defensive middle up front and she did her job well, putting a goal away." 

The Bachelor of Science Nursing student manoevred around Dickson and found open net. She credited her sister, Sofia Quniteros, an ACAC All-Conference South selection, for creating the play.

"My sister put a nice through ball over top and I saw it deflect off one of the defenders," said Quniteros. "I was lucky to be there and touch it around the goalie and put it in. It feels so good. We worked so hard throughout the whole season."

P. Kalbfleisch (10), Coules (9), E. Quinteros (8)

Concordia pressed in the final minutes, but couldn't even the contest. The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens sealed a 1-0 win and ACAC bronze. The RDP Queens last earned an ACAC medal nearly a decade ago when they blanked the Medicine Hat College Rattlers 3-0 in the bronze medal match. 

"The win is a big deal for the Queens," said Peyrow. "The last time it happened was in 2012." 

Bouvier turned aside three shots, earning the clean sheet in the Queens' net.

Bouvier (35)

With the game-winning-goal, Estel Quinteros was named the North Star Sports Queens Player of the Game.

E. Quinteros (8)

"All season, Estel has been a stellar player. She's been solid as a defensive midfielder," said Peyrow. "We have moved her up on the wing at crucial points of games before and she's played well. She's had a tough time trying to score a goal all season, but she waited until the last moment when it meant the most and she put one away. She did extremely well." 

During the six game regular season, Quinteros excelled defensively, while chipping in with three assists. 

Edmonton's Monica Dickson received the Player of the Game recognition for the Thunder, making four saves in a solid performance.

In the gold medal match, SAIT downed NAIT 1-0.

While the Queens will celebrate ACAC bronze in the present, it's hard not to look ahead to next season.

"We have a young team and quite a few of these girls are sticking around for a few years. A lot of them are in Nursing, so we will have them for four or five years," said Peyrow.  "We do have some recruits that will join up with these girls, so it's going to be a strong season for us next year. I hope everyone took notice of us this year, because we are coming for them. I am excited for next season." 

Quinteros couldn't agree more with her coach. 

"I'm so proud to be a Queen," said Quinteros. "I think next year we will be right up there in the finals and hopefully bring home the gold."