OACS News Service

Kings Christian Collegiate men's varsity soccer team
Kings Christian Collegiate soccer team takes OFSAA gold
Several Christian schools see success at soccer championships
Friday June 20, 2008 -- Michelle Strutzenberger
Kings Christian Collegiate men’s varsity soccer team has captured gold in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) ‘A’ Soccer Championship June 11.

“Overall it was just a phenomenal experience,” says coach Mike Zietsma. “The guys did awesome on the field and really behaved well off the field, making it enjoyable for everyone.”

The win was particularly notable in that going into the tournament the team was ranked 13th out of 16.

In the gold medal game, Kings faced off against another Christian school – Guido De Bres Christian High School.

Zietsma says Kings “really wanted this game” and was held up in large part by its strong defense, “which has been the backbone of our team.”

Although Guido added a point in the last five minutes, Kings still won 3-1.

“The guys were really excited and rushed on the field, after dumping ice water on me, of course,” says Zietsma.

Sharon Roebbelen, director of admissions and communications, says that for a relatively new, relatively small school like Kings, the win is a tremendous accomplishment.

“We don’t have the number of kids that other schools have to draw on, so it’s just tremendous.”

Roebbelen adds that the success is also a real testament to the dedication of the school’s teachers, who both teach and coach.

In addition to an excellent athletic program, Kings, which is a member of the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools (OACS), has been recognized for its excellent musicians, artists and academics, according to Roebbelen.

“The scope that Kings Christian Collegiate has, and the success that the students have had – and (the soccer win) is a good example – has just demonstrated that there’s a real breadth here, and we’re excited by that,” she says.

Several other Christian high schools were involved in and placed well at the recent OFSAA soccer championships.

Guido De Bres took silver in the Boys ‘A’ championships.

Hamilton District Christian High School, an OACS member school, made it to the championship tournament.

The girls’ soccer team of Smithville District Christian High School, also an OACS member school, took the ‘A’ Girls Soccer 2008 OFSAA Gold.

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