SHORTLY before the start of their win-or-go-home playoff match against the Windsor Dukes Wednesday afternoon, some of the younger members of the Seycove Seyhawks senior girls soccer team were expressing some trepidation to their co-coach, Carl Saunders.
The Seyhawks, defending provincial champions, had beaten the Dukes during a preseason exhibition game but lost in a shootout the only time the two teams played during the regular season. That result gave Windsor first place in the league and the right to host Wednesday's big game - the winners would earn a berth in the provincial AA championships while the losers would need to find a new hobby for the next few weeks.
"I hate playing Windsor, it's so hard," the girls were saying to Saunders. The coach, however, was far more confident thanks to a little creative math. The teams were so tight, he reasoned, that they were bound to alternate wins and losses. With Windsor winning the last regular season meeting, it surely was Seycove's turn.
"I told them don't worry, it always alternates," he said with a laugh. "They win, we win, they win, we win."
It turns out, the coach was right. The Seyhawks and Dukes both put in strong performances Wednesday but it was the kids from Seycove who kept the win rotation intact, earning a 2-1 victory to make it back to the provincial championships.
The Seyhawks took control of the game 20 minutes in when powerful Grade 11 winger Brittany Southam blasted in a shot from well outside the box. It was a welcome sight for Seycove's other co-coach, Sam Stackhouse.
"She has a rocket of a shot and we've been trying to get her to shoot from outside all season," said Stackhouse. "The whole first half (whenever) she got the ball at the top of the 18 we were screaming at her (to shoot). Finally she just launched one from probably 25 yards out and it went in, top corner."
The tide turned, however, early in the second half when Seycove's standout defender Alex Glass got tangled with Windsor striker Eve Mort who was making a solo run down the right side. A penalty shot was awarded and Windsor's Pauline McCordic buried the ball inside the left post to tie the game. The Dukes then upped the pressure and had several chances to spring into the lead but couldn't find the back of the net.
"I was a bit worried for the first few minutes after (the equalizer) because Windsor did push really hard but we pulled it together, pushed back," said Stackhouse. "From where I stand we just tried to get the girls to calm down and gain their composure back and just play their game. We always play best when we
just play easy balls to feet up the wing and just keep the pressure on. I think that once we fell back into that rhythm we got it back."
The winning goal came on a counterattack against the run of play and Southam was again instrumental, beating a pair of defenders just outside the box before making a nifty pass to super striker Caitlin Milham who slid a shot just inside the right post.
"That's typical Caitlin fashion - right place right time and got her foot on it," said Stackhouse, adding that she was impressed with the way her team performed as they held on to take the win. "They did everything that they were supposed to do. We have a couple of younger girls who have been totally stepping up and taking on leadership roles in the back. Everything just came together."
Relieved that his alternating wins theory played out correctly, Saunders still tipped his hat to the Dukes who gave Seycove all they could handle.
"Credit to Windsor - there's a lot of good skill on that side," he said. "The rivalry goes on."
The rivalry, however, will have to wait for next year to continue. With the powerful North Shore/Burnaby zone only getting one provincial berth, only the Seyhawks will be playing in the B.C. championships starting May 30 in Courtenay. The team will be counting on big performances again from the likes of Milham, Southam, Glass, Grade 12 captain Amanda Pasternak, forward Kristen Louie and fullback Karly Butterfield, said Stackhouse. Glass, in fact, may have given up the team's penalty against Windsor but the Grade 10 defender is a crucial player.
"Our backline wouldn't be what it is without her," said Stackhouse. "She definitely just takes control of the field."
The Seyhawks are a different group than they were last season when they won the first B.C. title in team history - 10 players graduated after last season -but that shouldn't stop them from going into the provincial tournament with the same goals, said Stackhouse.
"I think it's pretty similar to last season. We do have some standout players but ultimately when the team comes together, you win as a team and lose as a team. I think that we can definitely be a contender when we get to provincials."
One major difference, however, will be the big targets they'll all be wearing on their backs as the defending champions.
"That does add a lot of pressure," said Stackhouse. "If we had just gone last year and placed wherever, it obviously would have been different. Especially under the circumstances of last year - we kind of came in and nobody knew who we were. Now they do know who we are, so that's nice but I would like to do more than just go. I'd like to do our best to defend our title."
