The Pitt Meadows Marauders senior girls’ soccer team finished eighth at the B.C. AA provincials last weekend in Burnaby, going 2-3 at the tournament.
The team played hard during the tournament and finished in the top half of the draw thanks to a pair of shut-out wins to open the tournament.
On Thursday, the Marauders downed Notre Dame 3-0 and Valleyview 5-0.
But Friday the team had a much tougher time against a strong side from Saint Thomas More, losing 3-1.
Later in the day, the Marauders faced Surrey Christian, and although the two teams matched up well, Pitt was not able to execute and suffered another 3-1 loss.
Saturday saw the Marauders lose 2-1 on penalty kicks to St. Michael’s University School to finish in eighth spot.
It was the second year in a row the Marauders qualified for the provincials, after finishing seventh last season. Burnsview secondary won the tournament for the second year in a row.
Nikki Stanley was named one of the tournament’s MVPs as a Commissioner’s Eleven Award winner.
Coach Mike Oldridge said he was proud of the team’s efforts this season.
“The girls represented well,” he said. “[They were] undefeated in league play, won the Summerland tournament, second in the Fraser Valleys.
“I am proud of what they accomplished.”
Grade 12 players Nikki Stanley, Becky Jenkins, Melanie Manson, Lindsay Macdermid, Chanel Naicker, Linnea Foster, and Melissa Knebelow will be moving on, but Oldridge said he hopes to qualify for provincials again next year.
“Looking ahead, with plenty of talent among the Grade 11s, we have a decent opportunity to return to the provincials next year,” he said.
The outgoing class of Grade 12s has had five years of success at the school, winning the Fraser Valley finals in Grade 8, finishing third in Grade 9 as juniors, and second in Grade 10, all under the direction of coach Neil Macdermid, who as been the assistant for the senior team the past two years.
The Pitt Meadows Marauders senior girls’ soccer team is made up of Stanley, Manson, Macdermid, Jenkins, Naiker, Foster, Knebelow, Briana Morrison, Lexi Turner, Amanda Ward, Kelsey Acaster, Nicole Foster, Tam Reiss, Steph Patricelli, Emily Gresham, Alysha Rasmussen, Alex Lewis, and Payge Pena.