It was a great weekend for the Grand Forks Secondary school seniors girls’ soccer team at provincials in Penticton.
Sometimes challenges come in waves, and for the Wolves girls soccer team the swells came in the form of a grueling provincial schedule, hot weather, and talented opposition.
After starting the tournament with a hard earned 1-1 (goal by Zailey Howard) tie against Kelowna Christian, the Wolves faced the eventual champions, Glenlyon Norfolk Gryphons of Victoria. The Gryphons proved to be an opponent too talented for the Wolves and provided a valuable visual in how the ‘beautiful game’ can be played with poise and flawless skill. GFSS defended well for 70 minutes to minimize the damage resulting in a 3-0 loss.
On day two, the Wolves started with a 2-0 (goals: Anna Sawyer/Victoria Henne) victory over Fraser Lake. The team moved the ball well, pressuring their opponents to relinquish two goals while Ariana Clark, Sophia Stoochnoff, Sierra Campbell, and Portia Dagg defended the zone around the GFSS goal. The link between the defense and offense was accomplished through the hard work of Hanna Kiselbach, Sarah Olsen, Aliyah Clark, and Meagan Gorman.
After a lunch break, the Wolves battled fatigue, injury, and a lack of focus. Lacklustre defensive play and an absence of sustained offensive pressure resulted in two successful penalty shots placed past goaltender Elizabeth Henne resulting in an eventual 2-0 loss to Pemberton.
The fifth and final game, on day three, gave witness to a rejuvenated Wolves team performing to their potential. A dominant performance in the first half had the team with a one goal lead at half time (goal by Rylee Lloyd) and an early second goal (Zailey Howard) after the start of the second half. The opposition, Southpointe Academy of Tsawwassen, would score late in the second half to make the score 2-1 and provide an exciting finish to the game.
The provincial tournament and season provided success for the Wolves soccer team as they accomplished their goal of attending the soccer provincials (first time for the school in 15 years). The team experience and realization that tournaments of this caliber require more than just soccer skills will serve next years’ squad well.
An 11th place standing is above the expectations for the team and motivates them to return next year to improve their finish. As the team moves ahead, Ariana Clark (tournament MVP), will be missed but the team wishes her well as she takes her passion for soccer to Capilano University.