After two days of rain the L.V. Rogers Bombers squared off against Stanley Humphries of Castlegar in the Girls Field Hockey final to win the Kootenay Zone Championship and their way to Provincials next month in Oliver.
Coach Bruce Walgren said they played on a rain soaked, flooded field making it difficult for the bombers to use their speed and passing.
“The game was wet and cold,” he said. “The first half was scoreless with both sides having difficulty getting anything going.”
Stanley Humphries carried most of the play in the first half, but strong total team defense by the Bombers kept the half scoreless.
The second half saw LVR score first on a goal from Hanna Quinn after several short corners and lots of determination.
Castlegar tied the game less than five minutes later from a short corner of their own.
The rest of the half was a titanic struggle between the L.V. Rogers mid-field and defense and the Stanley Humphries mid field and defense.
“The team played hard but it was difficult to showcase our speed in the sloppy track conditions,” said coach Val Gibson.
The game ended 1 – 1 and two 10-minute over time halves had to be played; still both sides failed to get any positive offense going. At the end of the overtime frames, the coaches and umpires met to determine that it was getting too dark to play a sudden death OT frame, and shoot outs were required.
Much like the penalty shot in soccer, LVR scored on two of its four attempts, with goals by Naomi Perkins and Ali Zondervan.
Veteran goalie Tara Yowek stopped all four of the Castlegar shooters, giving LVR the 2 – 0 win in the shoot out, the Kootenay Zone Championship.
Walgren said mid-fielders Abbie Willans-Bourchier, Hailee Gerun, Naomi Perkins, Noa Butterfield, and Ali Zondervan created strong support when the LVR defense was being pressed. “The LVR back line of Lauren Walgren, Anna Goeppner, Emma Gregorich, Kyra Burkhart, and Heather Potkins, played really tough “D” keeping composure when Castlegar had five short corners in a row,” he said. “The team was supported by the usual stingy goaltending of Tara Yowek.”
The win gives the team a berth to the Provincials in Oliver on November 6-8.
Back: Ava Strautman, Emma Gregorich, Naomi Perkins, Heather Potkins, Julia Burkart, Emma Borhi, Katrina Merckle, Abbie Bourchier-Willans, Hailee Gerun, Lauren Walgren, coach Val Gibson, Allie Zondervan.
Front: Sarah Wade, Noa Butterfield, Hanna Quinn, Kyra Burkart, Noelle Wang, Jean Wheeldon, Anna Goeppner and Tara Yowek.
Coach: Bruce Walgren
