The Swift Current Comp Ardens soccer team has started a new era this season.
After years of dominance, the Ardens left the Moose Jaw High School league to play a tournament schedule instead.
"We've been talking about leaving the Moose Jaw league for probably more than ten years," said Ardens head coach Dale Perry. "Every year we'd say we're going to move and then somebody will say you won it so many years in a row. Why would you stop? So last year we finished second (and) now it's time to move. Our plan was hopefully to run into some better competition."
Their first taste of that competition was three losses in nine player indoor games against three Regina teams. They returned to eleven player outdoor games last weekend in Prince Albert with three victories.
Swift Current topped Prince Albert St. Mary 2-1 on goals by Navy Louma on Friday. Louma then scored three times as they topped Prince Albert Carlton 5-0 on Saturday, and four different players contributed to a 4-0 win over North Battleford Comp.
"I think what the weekend did for us is let us realize we had some pretty good depth," Perry said. "You start seeing who could maybe fit in some pieces next year for the for the ones that will graduate. We will start working on that this year."
Perry is somewhat concerned the tougher competition they're playing will make it more difficult to get younger players the match action they've had in previous years.
Six games into the season it still appears the Ardens will rely on balance.
"Defensively we're pretty good," Perry said "We don't have like a superstar power, but we have a lot of balance in every position. We have good players everywhere. Now having said that, a lot of them are young. They got a lot to learn."
Swift Current hosts a tournament on their home field this weekend which includes a couple of rematches.
"We have St. Mary's from Prince Albert coming down," Perry said. "We had a great game with them last Friday and you know could have gone either way. We have Campbell from Regina coming and they won the tournament in Regina. They beat us 3-1 there so we're seeing some competition that we can use to gauge how our seasons going."
The Ardens also visit Regina O'Neill today before their tournament starts on Friday.