It was an edgy day of results watching for more than just sa国际传媒 politicians on Tuesday.
The Stelly鈥檚 Stingers and Oak Bay Breakers both slipped into the title game of the 2013 triple-A girls Island high school soccer championship final on tiebreakers to earn the two berths on offer into the provincial tournament May 30-June 1 at Argyle Secondary in North Vancouver.
The South third-seed Stingers won their first Island championship 3-2 on penalty kicks over Oak Bay after regulation time ended scoreless at Hampton Park.
鈥淚t was an emotional day waiting for that phone call, which the girls did with their arms locked,鈥� said Jackie Cunningham, who has coached Stelly鈥檚 since 1996.
After Stelly鈥檚 had beaten the Cowichan Thunderbirds 5-0 in the morning at Braefoot Park, the Stingers had to await the result of the Belmont Bulldogs-Dover Bay Dolphins game being played at Hampton. The South top-seed Bulldogs won 3-1 but lost the pool to Stelly鈥檚 on tiebreakers as the relieved Stingers headed across Saanich to Hampton for their date in the final against Oak Bay.
The Breakers, the South No. 2 seed, held the defending champion and North Island top-seed Carhi Tyees of Campbell River to a scoreless draw Tuesday morning, pipping Carhi on tiebreakers in the other pool.
鈥淭alk about pressure,鈥� said Cunningham.
鈥淣ormally, the Island gets three berths into the sa国际传媒 championship, but not this year. So when those tiebreakers were being tabulated, it was with the knowledge that the outcome would mean either going on to the provincial tournament or being eliminated.鈥�
Falling into the unfortunate latter category were the talented North champion Tyees, and the Bulldogs, who last week won their first Ryan Cup for South Island supremacy.
In the championship game, Shavonne Barchen-Hobson made three saves in the shootout to preserve the Island title for Stelly鈥檚.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our first championship and we鈥檙e stoked,鈥� said Cunningham.
Oak Bay, meanwhile, has been to the sa国际传媒 championship game three times 鈥� finishing second on each occasion 鈥� under the 10-year coaching tenure of Brent Garraway.
鈥淭hat was a battle out there,鈥� said Garraway.
鈥淲ith four games in two days, those were two tired teams in the final, especially with the calibre around right now.鈥�
He was referring to the several CIS-level players in the high school ranks at the moment, including his Oak Bay Grade 12 players Alise Butler and Stephanie Badilla-Guiterrez who are likely headed to the University of Victoria Vikes, along with Carihi鈥檚 Eilidh Rasmussen.
The Island championship was well scouted, with UVic assistant coach Dave Dew saying there were 鈥渁 couple of dozen鈥� players from Grades 9-12 in the tournament good enough to play at the next level over the next couple of years.
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