The Glenlyon Norfolk Gryphons wonB次元官网网址檛 admit it but there is a score to settle with the Lambrick Park Lions when the two meet in todayB次元官网网址檚 (Nov. 30) Colonist Cup, the high school boysB次元官网网址� city soccer championship at the University of Victoria.
Kick off is 5:30 p.m. under the lights at Centennial Stadium.
GNS is the holder of the city cup for two years running, despite being one of the smaller schools in the city. Until this season the school had fewer than 81 boys in grades 11 and 12. That changed this year, though not by much, but GNS proved they really are an elite school team in the province, winning the provincial AA championship in Burnaby last week.
HereB次元官网网址檚 the twist. Despite being the only team to defeat GNS (7-1) during regulation play this season (there were a couple of shootout losses in tournament play), Lambrick Park (8-0) didnB次元官网网址檛 make the AA provincials. Lambrick beat GNS during the teamsB次元官网网址� only previous meeting this year.
Host St. Michaels Blue Jags (6-2) upset the Lions 4-2 in the AA Islands semifinals earlier in November, and went on to finish 12th.
B次元官网网址�(That) was a disappointment, as (we) went in as the top team in the Lower Island,B次元官网网址� Lambrick coach Steve Legg said. B次元官网网址淪MUS probably knew they had to perform well and the fact we came out flat resulted in a loss. A hard lesson that our team had to accept and learn from.B次元官网网址�
Next to GNS, Lambrick is one of the smallest schools in Greater Victoria, with a perennial AA class size, and itB次元官网网址檚 also without any rep players in the youth high performance league, Legg said. His side has had time to reorganize its focus and motivation for the Colonist Cup and knows it cannot ride on great results from the past season.
It just B次元官网网址榮eems like an academyB次元官网网址�
The success of GNSB次元官网网址� soccer teams is nothing new in the local soccer scene. What is new, however, is the draw the schoolB次元官网网址檚 having. Families of would-be soccer players are starting to consider GNS as an option.
B次元官网网址淕NS is not an academy,B次元官网网址� said Hugh Williams, the schoolB次元官网网址檚 soccer director.
B次元官网网址淪ome people call us one because of our structure. But we donB次元官网网址檛 recruit.B次元官网网址�
Having said that, success breeds success. B次元官网网址淲e have a saying that B次元官网网址榳e grow our ownB次元官网网址� but, we have (families) making the choice to (send their kids) to GNS (for the soccer).B次元官网网址�
GNS boys make it three
It takes one to know one, as Glenlyon Norfolk Gryphons ended the B次元官网网址楥inderella storyB次元官网网址� of BurnabyB次元官网网址檚 Cariboo Hill Chargers in the AA provincial final with a 2-0 win.
B次元官网网址淐ariboo hasnB次元官网网址檛 won much, so this was uncharted territory for them,B次元官网网址� Williams said. B次元官网网址淏ut they beat pre-tourney favourites Sands and Okanagan-Mission (in a shootout), so were very deserving.B次元官网网址�
It wasn't too long ago that GNS was a cinderella story, a small single-A school defeating much larger AAA teams for the city championship, as well as the past two provincial A championships.
The first half of the AA final played out a typical, tentative fashion of championship games, Williams said. A scoreless first half with neither team attacking too strong.
But in the second half GNS picked it up and were quite dominant.
B次元官网网址�(The players) sensed a goal was coming and they got it,B次元官网网址� Williams said.
GNSB次元官网网址� Fergus Hall headed in a Jyotish Khanna free kick.
B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 want a repeat of the semifinal when we gave up the tying goal to Windsor with five minutes to go and had to win in overtime.B次元官网网址�
Cariboo pressed hard, but it meant they were vulnerable and co-captain Sean Pickersgill scored on a breakaway that started midfield.
Pickersgill was voted tournament MVP with co-captain Conor Hannigan voted to the CommissionerB次元官网网址檚 11.
In WilliamsB次元官网网址� eyes there was no better goalie in the tourney than Rab Bruce-Lockhart of GNS but that award went to the keeper with Hugh Boyd secondary.
To get to the semifinal GNS had to win its pool, which it did with an 8-0 win over Golden, 1-1 tie against D.W. Poppy and 3-0 win over Hugh Boyd, edging the latter school by one goal in a tie-breaker.
