The 2013 sa国际传媒 triple-A senior girls high school soccer championship will be an endurance race as 16 teams are set to clash beginning today at Argyle Secondary in North Vancouver.
Among them are the Islands鈥� two representatives, the champion Stelly鈥檚 Stingers and runners-up the Oak Bay Breakers.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to take a a strong defensive performance, No. 1, from everybody and, No. 2, there are five games over three days. The halves are shorter, at 35 minutes, so you have to take care of business,鈥� said longtime Stelly鈥檚 coach Jackie Cunningham. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 be leaving anything on the field.
鈥淭his tournament takes its toll. Everyone has a role and everyone needs to step up,鈥� added Cunningham, whose Stingers defeated the Breakers 3-2 on penalty kicks to earn the Island championship two weeks ago.
It will be the Stingers鈥� third visit to provincials having competed in 2006 and played host in 2010.
Oak Bay assistant coach Amanda Baart is also a veteran of such wars, having competed in 2007 in which the Breakers finished second to Richmond鈥檚 Hugh McRoberts.
鈥淚 was there, I know what it鈥檚 like,鈥� said the former goalkeeper. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so emotionally and mentally draining. When it comes to those final games it鈥檚 more a mental exercise than anything else, making sure your legs work with the rest of your brain. Battling through that mental test of playing five games through three days is exhausting.鈥�
Oak Bay opens against R.A. McMath of Richmond at 9 a.m. and then faces its toughest test in a 1 p.m. matchup against Terry Fox (Port Coquitlam), before finishing up its pool play against Clayton Heights (Surrey) on Friday at 11 a.m.
Stelly鈥檚 faces Burnaby South in its opener at 11 a.m. today and then meets up with Dr. Charles Best (Coquitlam) at 3 p.m. in Game 2, before moving on to tackle Fleetwood Park (Surrey) on Friday at 9 a.m.
Playoffs will begin Friday afternoon and the championship final goes Saturday morning.
鈥淭erry Fox is No. 1 going in, so I would say that鈥檚 our biggest game mentally,鈥� Baart said.
鈥淧hysically we haven鈥檛 seen them play. For the girls going into a game where you鈥檙e ranked lower and you鈥檙e playing the top seed, we鈥檙e going to have to pull through some mental blocks and really band together to get the outcome that we you want, which is a win.鈥�
Cunningham expects a battle out of every team.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so hard to say, everyone that qualifies is a great team so we feel good about ourselves and we feel confident, but we know we鈥檒l have to play our best,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 prefer [not knowing the opponent]. I just know they will be a strong team and you鈥檙e going to have to perform, no matter who it is.鈥�
Meanwhile, the double-A championship is set for Courtenay as Mark Isfeld is in as hosts. Lambrick Park and Parksville鈥檚 Balenas are also competing in the 16-team event that also begins today and ends Saturday.
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