It was a great start to the season for the LVR Senior Girls Soccer team.
Competing in the Kelowna this past weekend, the girls finished sixth out of 14 teams with an impressive record of two wins, two ties and one loss.
In its opening match, LVR dominated play, but had to come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Salmon Arm. Senior and team captain Eric Augsten scored on a penalty shot in the second half, her second penalty shot of the game, to even up the match.
“It could have been 10-1,” said head coach Jamie Spendlove.
In its second match, the Bombers again dominated, this time against Mount Boucharie’s AA side. Perkins and Tara Yowek both scored to register a 2-nil for LVR, but Spendlove pointed to the efforts of Jenna Wheeldon at centre back as a key reason for the team’s win.
The third game of the tournament pitted LVR against last year’s Provincial A Champion, Immaculata. With the Bombers dominating early, Perkins gave the Kootenay squad the 1-nil lead. LVR continued to push with chance after chance, however, Immaculata was able to score on its one opportunity late in the game to earn the draw. Unfortunately for LVR, that cost them first place in its group and fifth place finish at best.
The next day the girls kicked off against St. Thomas Aquainas from Vancouver. This is the team that Immaculata beat in the finals of A provincials the previous year and LVR was up for the task. Not missing a beat from its previous games, LVR once again dominated possession and were able to register the 1-nil win on yet another goal from Perkins. Spendlove also pointed to the efforts of keeper Keegan Paterson, who kept St. Thomas off the scoreboard.
In its final game of the tournament, a battle for fifth place, LVR drew a tough assignment in Okanagan Mission from Kelowna.
“This is a strong team from Kelowna that the girls could see again if they end up making the provincial championships,” Spendlove said.
LVR went up 1-0 early with a stunning left footed strike from winger Jesse Cooper, but despite dominating possession, the local girls gave up three unanswered markers. St. Thomas’s goals came from two penalty shots and a free kick from outside the box.
LVR continued to have the run of play and got one back from a penalty shot by Augsten that make the score 3-2, but that was a close as they would get.
“Being more structured and having majority of the possession in every game is a good sign of things to come,” added Spendlove.
