it will be the Oak Bay Breakers and the Claremont Spartans in the Island AAA final for high school girls soccer today, 2:30 p.m. at Hampton Park.
Oak Bay finished first in their pool as did Claremont. Oak Bay is considered the favourite as they defeated GNS for the Ryan Cup on Thursday. Three days earlier GNS shutout Claremont 3-0 in the Ryan Cup semifinal.
The AAA girls Islands opened Monday and also included South Island teams Spectrum and Stelly’s.
Oak Bay edge GNS for Ryan Cup
Rarely are fans of the beautiful game witness to a goal equal to the quality of which Oak Bay Breakers’ Maddie Secco scored in the Ryan Cup city championship at UVic on Thursday (May 12).
The Breakers edged past the Glenlyon Norfolk School Gryphons 3-2 with penalty kicks deciding the game after two 10 minute overtime halves.
Up 1-0 at halftime, Glenlyon dominated possession to start the second half but Oak Bay never buckled, buoyed by the stalwart defence of Elise Butler.
Oak Bay managed to tie the game 1-1 against the flow. Then a few minutes later Secco, closer to the half way line than the goal, stopped a pass, spun and fired an arching shot that came down off the inside of the post and in.
It was a glorious strike but despite putting Oak Bay up 2-1, it wasn’t enough.
GNS fought back when Marysia Gryzbowski dashed in to tap a long cross into the Oak Bay net with but a few minutes remaining in the game.
However, Oak Bay outlasted GNS is the penalties, a tough way for the defending champs to go.
