Despite stiff competition in its first two games Wednesday, the Rossland Secondary School Royals got off to a promising start at the provincial championship in Burnaby.
The Royals lost a heartbreaker in its first game against number-four ranked Crofton, who scored on a penalty kick in the final minute of regulation to win 1-0. RSS Goalie Kaela Zimmer was outstanding in net, and continued her excellent play in the second match against defending champion Shawnigan Lake.
The Royals played a spirited match against the number-three ranked team and came away with a well-deserved 0-0 draw.
“We are very pleased with these results so far,” said RSS coach Donna Hebert in an email. “It is outstanding for our girls, and they are very proud.”
The young team, can finish seeded as high as second in the round robin pool depending on how they do against Okanagan Mission Secondary on Thursday.
The team is a young but talented team that have worked hard this season, and have proven they can play with B.C.’s best.
“We are competitive despite being a young team. Our girls are very coachable in all aspects, they understand that they need to find ways to win by out-working their opponents,” added Hebert.
“Our younger players are leading by example, they are challenging girls much older, and every girl on our entire team is doing their part to put their best effort forward.”
The playoff round gets underway Thursday afternoon culminating in the High School AA final today at 2:45 p.m. Thursday scores were unavailable at press time.
