It was a tale of two very different games as the four remaining Lower Island senior girls soccer teams involved in the Ryan Cup playoffs hit the University of Victoria turf pitches on Tuesday afternoon.
Lambrick Park used a pair of quick second-half strikes from talented Emma Entzminger and solid goaltending from Cassandra Vandermey to defeat Oak Bay 2-1 in a defensive tussle.
On the next pitch over, the Belmont Bulldogs let a 3-1 lead slip away but fought back for a 5-3 victory in extra time over the Stelly鈥檚 Stingers in an all-out offensive display in the second semifinal.
Lambrick Park and Belmont will now square off in the Ryan Cup final Thursday at 3:45 p.m. at UVic.
The victory over the Bays avenged a 3-0 loss in last year鈥檚 Ryan Cup championship game for the Lambrick Park Lions.
鈥淚 remember it, too well,鈥� said Lions鈥� coach Melissa Orton. 鈥淚n the first 10 minutes today we came out attacking, it settled and they started taking it to us a bit.
鈥淲e got those two goals and then we got caught sitting back a bit. We might have got a little too comfy there. We kept telling them they were going to want to come back and punish us and they certainly pushed.鈥�
The Bays did bring plenty of offence late after Entzminger provided goals in the 50th and 55th minutes.
Camille Van Tassel finally struck paydirt for the Bays, but then Vandermey went to work for the Lions. The 鈥檏eeper twice made saves off Van Tassel, the second a punch at a rising ball that then ricocheted off the crossbar and out. Vandermey also stopped Meagan Kivell and Holly Goodacre for good measure.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been doing that all year and through the UVic tournament,鈥� said Orton, whose Lions lost the final of that tournament 1-0 to Glenlyon Norfolk School.
As for the Bays, it was too little too late, said coach Brent Garroway.
鈥淲e left it a little late to turn it up to the next gear,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of the maturity process of learning how to do that early in the game and carrying it all the way through and not just doing it when you need to.鈥�
Oak Bay had won the last two Ryan Cups and this would have been the fourth appearance in the final in five years.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs advance to their first Ryan Cup championship game.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going where we鈥檝e never been before,鈥� assistant coach Lloyd Powell, who ran the ship with Bud Livingstone away on business, told his elated crew afterward.
鈥淲e got out of our game plan, which is one-touch, two-touch ball to feet. We started to do a little kick and run and we allowed Stelly鈥檚 back in.鈥�
Maddy Yesaki, with a blast off the crossbar and in, and Marisa Livingstone, with her second of the game, provided the extra-time strikes for the victors. Kristen Livingstone had given the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead before Frankie Chatwin replied for Stelly鈥檚.
Marisa Livingstone and Kate Payter then gave Belmont the 3-1 advantage before Alix Yee cut it to 3-2 before the half. Nina LaFlamme tied it in the 58th minute for the Stingers, whose first two goals came off corners from Alynn Dagg.
鈥淚t was a great game,鈥� said Stelly鈥檚 coach Jackie Cunningham. 鈥淚t was a tough way to finish, in overtime. They scored two quick goals on two great shots.鈥�
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