The Boonah Soccer Club has completed one of its most successful seasons in recent memory – but has set its sights on greater things in 2022.
Five of the club’s teams played in the Queensland Christian Soccer Association’s grand finals over the last few weeks, with four of those sides bringing home the major trophy.
The golden run began on the first Saturday in September when the Under 10s beat the boys and girls of the Blackstone United Dragons 3-1.
The Over 30s men’s side defeated Logan 2-0 in their grand final on Friday night, while the Under 12s beat Northside 3-2 the next day.
The U15/16 team won a thriller that Saturday against North Pine Baptist. With scores locked at 3 goals a piece at the end of 90 minutes, the teams headed into extra time when the boys from Boonah bagged a brace to run out 5-3 winners.
Unfortunately for the club, the women’s team lost their first game of the season in the grand final that day, going down 1-7 to Silkstone Baptist.
It was a bittersweet day for captain-coach Gwen Behrendorff, who was unable to add to her phenomenal tally of 45 goals in just 17 games, but was named by the referees as the Player of the Season.
Behrendorff last booted 45 back in 2018, but the club had been unable to field a women’s side since.
She said the first year of a new team was “always the hardest” and she was proud of how the group had performed.
"I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get the win but we had a great season," she said.
The team struggled to get full sides each week and had no substitutes on grand final day.
Behrendorff said she hoped fresh recruits and a new coach would help the side go to the next level next season, when they expected to go up a division.
President John Reiser said he hoped the whole club could continue growing in 2022.
A key addition to the season was hooking up power to a light pole which allowed senior teams to train at night.
But Reiser said the club was hoping to secure grants for new light poles, which would allow the club to play at night and be able to host senior games in Boonah.
“Currently for our Over 30s our home games are in Ipswich,” he said.
“So hopefully this will boost us and attract more people to come and play and have more senior teams.
“It would mean we would be able to attract crowds to come see the games too.”
But for now, he was still basking in the results of 2021.
“We had our ups and downs with Covid cancelling a few games,” he said.
“But it was a great season for all ages.”
