Success both on and off the pitch was the resounding message as Carihi and friends hosted the 2016 AA Provincial Championship last weekend.
A plethora of positive feedback and a whole bunch of lifelong memories were provided in an action packed three days. On the pitch it was LV Rogers that came out on top as the team from Nelson, B.C. prevailed in a nail biting penalty shoot out win on the Robron turf after the game ended 1-1 after extra time.
The joy of such a victory was experienced in the semi-final for St. Thomas More out of New Westminster but in the final they were unable to make it back-to-back shoot out wins.
The competitive nature of the fight for medallions was demonstrated in the 3rd vs. 4th place game, with the match also going to extra time and St. Michael’s of Victoria defeating Okanagan Mission by a score of 2-1. The closing ceremony saw the prestigious blue banner awarded to the champions, LV Rogers.
Awards were also given to Naomi Perkins who won both the Tournament MVP and the Golden Boot as top scorer. Mennonite Educational Institute (MEI) was awarded the Fair Play trophy.
As the teams left the ceremony, there were glowing comments abound about the outstanding pitches at Carihi and Willow Point, the quality of the turf field, the fun and food shared at the ’70s themed tournament banquet the night before, the tournament website and the care provided by myriad of volunteers.
Carihi stellar on the pitch
On the pitch, the Tyees produced five games full of character and commitment. Their opening game saw them match up with West Point Grey Academy and resulted in a 4-1 victory. The Tyees’ second game matched them with a strong looking Duchess Park. The Tyees played some wonderful soccer in the opening 35 minutes, racing to a 3-0 lead. Duchess Park then produced a remarkable display of its own, scoring three without reply to level the score. The excitement wasn’t over, however, and a dramatic goal for Carihi in the dying minutes secured a 4-3 win. Going into day two, Carihi needed a draw to win its group and head into the semi-finals. The game was against Okangan Mission (OKM) and the Tyees got off to a dream start with a goal after 20 seconds. OKM fought back and tied the game before going up 2-1. Carihi levelled the score with a penalty with eight minutes remaining.
However, heartache was just around the corner, as OKM scored with the last kick of the game. The last two games saw Carihi lose 3-1 to Seycove and Notre Dame. Again these were two hugely competitive games and the girls put in amazing efforts in what has been an incredible season of school soccer. The girls bid farewell to three senior players who will graduate this month – Captain Madison Ashcroft, Kamiya Iwamoto and Maja Nymann. In addition, “Auf Wiedersehen” to our German exchange student, Svea Gottschalk.
The team also thanks all of its sponsors, volunteers and parents for helping host the 2016 Provincial Championship.