An early loss set the Oak Bay senior girls soccer team back from a chance at reaching the final of the B.C. AAA High School Soccer Provincial championships in Surrey last week.
However, it was a sweet finish, as the Bays edged Nanaimo District 3-2 in their final game on Day 3, finishing ninth while Nanaimo was 10th.
It was a bit of redemption for Oak Bay having lost to Nanaimo in the AAA Island championship final two weeks ago, at Oak Bay High.
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B次元官网网址淸Oak Bay] played two really strong games to finish, and competed really well,B次元官网网址� said Rich Fast, who co-coaches the team with Katie Baker. B次元官网网址淲e just lost an unfortunate game in pool play that sent us down in placement.B次元官网网址�
The provincials were May 29 to 31 at SurreyB次元官网网址檚 Cloverdale Park.
Oak Bay was winning against Sardis on Day 1 when they suffered a tough B次元官网网址渟pellB次元官网网址� and lost their focus, allowing Sardis to tie and win the game, 3-2. Oak Bay defeated North Peace by the same score and then faced Centennial.
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If they had beat Sardis, Oak Bay only needed to tie Centennial, which they were on track to do with a scoreless game going into the final minutes. Because the Bays lost to Sardis, they needed to beat Centennial, and made a costly push.
Centennial took advantage and scored a late goal and went on to win the provincials.
B次元官网网址淲e gave Centennial arguably their hardest game of the tournament,B次元官网网址� Fast said. B次元官网网址淲e loaded the team up front and pushed for a goal, and it cost us defensively. It came down to that bad spell against Sardis. If we had won that game and tied Centennial, which we could have, we would have gone through as a one or two seed into the final.B次元官网网址�
Earlier on Day 2 the Bays beat Handsworth 4-0 to set up the ninth place match against Nanaimo. Centennial defeated Fleetwood 2-1 in the championship final. It was FleetwoodB次元官网网址檚 sixth straight championship final appearance.
Regardless, it was a really rewarding experience for the Oak Bay senior team which graduates an abnormally large group of Grade 12s this year and will enter a transition with only four Grade 11s that can return next year.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 high school sports,B次元官网网址� Fast said. B次元官网网址淲e lost some key Grade 12s but you build through development. We have a strong group of juniors and we have had a lot of juniors on the field [for the senior team] this year.B次元官网网址�
