L.V. Rogers girls field hockey team won three games and tied one last week as they gear up for the West Kootenay final tonight.
LVR won 4-0 against Castlegar’s Stanley Humphries on Friday, October 17, with two goals by Jena Wheeldon (assists went to Allie Zondervan and Hailee Gerun), a goal by Zondervan (assist to Svenja Rennecke) and another by Lauren Walgren (assist to Hanna Quinn).
The team then won their match against Oliver, 2-0, with goals by Quinn and Julia Burkart (from Quinn).
Coach Val Gibson pointed out that both Quinn and Burkart are Grade 9s playing in a Senior Grade 11/12 league.
LVR’s winning steak continued as they defeated Westbank’s Mt. Boucherie, 1-0, on Saturday. Abbie Bourchier-Willans scored the goal on a corner penalty with an assist from Hailee Gerun.
“Abbie ran the team and showed patient leadership and skill,” said Gibson.
As for goal keeper Jena Wheeldon, Gibson said, “She is getting better every game and though she prefers to play as an attacker, she has the skill set to be a talented goalkeeper as well.”
The team’s second game that day ended in a 1-1 tie with Trail’s JL Crowe. Quinn scored the sole goal for LVR with an assist from Sydney Ednie and Tara Yowek.
Gerun was the player of the game for “playing with heart, skill and poise after spending the morning fitness testing with the Whitecaps High Performance Soccer Programme, in Nelson,” said Gibson.
“This game was played without the benefit of four of the Bombers main starting line up and birthday girl and co captain Lauren Walgren stepped it up a notch to make and up for missing players.”
Gibson also said Kyra Burkart elevated her leadership in the defensive game to fill the shoes of Emma Gregorich.
The girls are gearing up for the West Kootenay final on Thursday (yesterday) at Pass Creek Park.
A win equals a straight road to the Provincials, in Oliver, on November 6-8.
A loss would result in the local girls having to earn their way into the BC championships through the back door via a wild card game, on Tuesday, October 28, in Kelowna versus the #2 Fraser Valley team.
A loss at the wild card game means the end of the season for the girls.