Girls鈥� soccer, the penultimate sport on the annual high school calendar before track and field closes the season, has reached the playoff stage. And on that stage, the St. Michaels University School Blue Jags look like they mean to perform.
The host Blue Jags (No. 1 ranked in A/AA) defeated the Claremont Spartans (No. 4 AAA) 1-0 Tuesday afternoon on a late goal as Maggie Manson-Blair left-footed a howitzer to the top corner in the quarter-finals of the Ryan Cup playdowns for Lower Island supremacy.
It was the first post-season step in the Blue Jags鈥� attempt to surpass their third-place double-A finish last year in the province.
鈥淲e want to improve on that this year,鈥� said Manson-Blair, who was moved up from the back line late in the game by coach Nikki Kaufmann, with the winning goal the result.
鈥淲e are a confident group with a lot of skilled players,鈥� added Manson-Blair.
Many of them are on the strong back line, which is led by SMUS sweeper Taylor Noel. It has allowed Blue Jags goalkeeper Anna Mollenhauer to record a clean sheet throughout the regular season, and now so far, in the playoffs. Not to be scored on in a season is a rarity at any level.
鈥淎 lot of that has been because of our defensive players, who clear the ball so well,鈥� said Mollenhauer.
鈥淚鈥檓 just there when the ball gets through them.鈥�
Which isn鈥檛 very often. But when needed, Mollenhauer has been there.
Soccer isn鈥檛 even the main sport for Mollenhauer, who is on the Canadian junior women鈥檚 field hockey team. That鈥檚 quite impressive, considering she is only in Grade 11 and already a U-21 national team athlete in field hockey. She is also a standout in ice hockey. It鈥檚 certainly in the genes for the daughter of 1984 L.A. Olympian and World Cup field-hockey medallist Nancy Mollenhauer.
鈥淢y mom has been so supportive and encouraging,鈥� said Anna.
鈥淏eing an Olympian, she has great advice to give. My goal is to follow in her footsteps.鈥�
But not before another run at the sa国际传媒 high school soccer title with SMUS. The defending Island double-A champions talked about the keys to success in their games.
鈥淲e always want to remain composed and maintain possession,鈥� said Kaufmann, in her ninth season of coaching the Blue Jags.
In the other Ryan Cup quarter-finals played Tuesday, the Oak Bay Breakers (No. 1 AAA) defeated Glenlyon-Norfolk (No. 4 A/AA) 6-0, the Reynolds Roadrunners (No. 2 AAA) beat St. Andrew鈥檚 (No. 3 A/AA) 5-0, and the Stelly鈥檚 Stingers (No. 3 AAA) edged the Royal Bay Ravens (No. 2 A/AA) 3-2.
The semifinals are Thursday at 3:45 p.m. at the UVic turf fields with SMUS meeting Reynolds and Oak Bay playing Stelly鈥檚. The Ryan Cup final is next Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. at UVic.
The Island single-A championship is May 13-14 in Port McNeill, Island double-A championship May 16-17 at SMUS and Island triple-A tournament at Dover Bay in Nanaimo from May 16-17.
The sa国际传媒 championships are in Fort St. James for single-A, at Carihi in Campbell River for double-A and in South Delta for triple-A, all from June 2-4.
