THE Handsworth senior girls soccer team had an uncharacteristically un-Royal campaign this spring, but despite their struggles throughout the regular season they now are in a position to win one more big playoff game Monday to make it into the provincial championships.
The Royals claimed a massive 1-0 win over West Vancouver Wednesday to earn a trip to the zone semifinals. The game remained scoreless until four minutes from the final whistle when Handsworth's Emma Nelson blasted in a free kick estimated at 30 yards to give the Royals the win and send the Highlanders home for the season. It was a tough blow for West Van who finished well clear of the Royals in the regular season, racking up 12 points to Handsworth's four.
The Royals, last year's provincial bronze medalists, actually struggled all season, scoring only one win in six league games. That number, however, is not really an accurate gauge of the team's abilities, said Carrie vander Linden, co-head coach along with Anne Farnan.
"Overall the team, when we're up to full strength, is better than that record," she said. "We just have been plagued by a more than average amount of injuries and unfortunately those injuries were people who would be starters."
The Royals, in fact, have had six starters miss games this season. In a league as strong as the North Shore circuit, little lineup disruptions, let alone losing half the starting lineup, can cause big problems.
"The competition in this league is tight between all of the teams," said van der Linden. "It does make a difference if you don't have your team up to full strength."
Though the wins didn't come early, the players mostly kept their cool.
"We're very proud of the girls," said vander Linden. "No doubt there was some frustration at times but they all understood that we just have to keep going, we have to try our best. . . . We found that in quite a number of games when we weren't successful the girls kept their composure."
That patience was rewarded on Wednesday when the Royals, with all six injured starters back in the lineup contributing at least a few minutes each, knocked off the Highlanders. Now they're one win away from provincials. On Monday they'll take on New Westminster secondary in the zone semifinals with a berth in provincials on the line.
"It's a big one on Monday - if we win we're through to provincials, if we lose we're out," said vander Linden, adding the team seems to be peaking at the right time. "They're a terrific group of girls, they're very supportive of each other, it's always created a HA Shki great atmosphere on the team and I think that's why we were able to hang in there and not become dejected. . . . The girls that have been injured are getting stronger each time. Things are going the right way. Things are building and getting stronger, not the other way."
So despite all their struggles, the Royals are actually right where they need to be.
"The goal was to get to provincials," the coach said. "Last year we were able to do it the easy way by coming first on the North Shore. When it became apparent that we were not going to be able to repeat that this year we just kept encouraging the girls that the goal is still attainable, it's just going to take some hard work."
. . . Handsworth and New West will play Monday, May 13 at Ambleside E field with the winner advancing to the provincial championships scheduled for May 30-June 1 in North Vancouver.
