RRHS to host soccer championships for first time

By Ken Johnston
Editor

For the first time ever Rainy River High School will be hosting regional soccer playoffs.
On May 22nd the school will host the NORWOSSA soccer tournament. This has been made possible by the recent separation of ‘A’ and ‘AA” schools in league play. Prior to this year the larger ‘AA” schools played the smaller ‘A' schools; the latter of which RRHS is.
In the ‘A’ division there is RRHS, Red Lake, Thomas Aquinas (Kenora), Pelican Falls and Sioux Lookout. RRHS Athletic Director Guy Arpin said that the top four teams from league play, which involves playing each school twice, will advance to the NORWOSSAs in Rainy River.
Last week Rainy River travelled to Kenora and faced Thomas Aquinas and Red Lake. The RRHS Owls girls lost to both schools with the same score of 1-0. The Owls boys won both their games defeating T.A. 3-1 and Red Lake 2-0.
Arpin said that there is a good chance at least one Owls team will qualify and perhaps even both as Pelican Falls is slated to play this weekend but because many of its students are from fly-in reserves and this is a long weekend they have opted to send the kids home for the last time before the school year is over in June. “They will have several forfeits on their record,” said Arpin.
The Owls will be travelling to Sioux Lookout this Friday where they will play S.L. and would have faced P.F.
Even if none of RRHS teams make it the school will still be the host for NORWOSSAs. Arpin has a tentative schedule of playoff games with the day starting at 9 a.m. The finals will be at 3:30 (boys) and 5:00 (girls).
Bleachers have been acquired, a canteen will be open and there is no charge for the public to come and watch.
Arpin is looking for some outdoor tents to provide shelter in the event of rain. “Soccer is not a fair weather sport. Unless there is six inches of snow the games will go rain or shine.” Anyone with a tent they could lend the school, call Arpin at 852-3284.
Volunteers to help in the canteen and with other things are also needed. Again call Arpin.
The winning teams will then advance to NWOSSA’s. The winning boys team in NORWOSSAs will host NWOSSAs and the winning girls team will have to travel to the winner of the North Shore region. So if RRHS’s boys win the school will play host to NWOSSA’s the next week. If the girls win they will travel to the North Shore the next week.