An impressive and dominant season by the Peninsula Co-op Highlanders collapsed on Saturday with a 4-3 shootout loss in the semifinals to the Kamloops Heat.
The Highlanders finished second in the Pacific Coast Soccer League’s premier women’s division with a record of 13-1-2, scoring a league best 61 goals. It put the Highlanders into the PCSL championship semifinals, played on the Mainland last weekend against the Heat.
The game ended at regulation in a 2-2 tie, with the Highlanders goals coming from Kristen Livingstone and Liz Hansen. Hansen scored twice more in overtime to keep the Highlanders on par, 4-4, with the Heat. Jaclyn Sawicki then put the Highlanders ahead 5-4 and 6-4 with a pair of goals and what looked like a spot in the final. But the Highlanders surrendered two late goals and lost 4-3 in the penalty kick shootout.
“It’s our first year back in this league, so now we just build from here,” said Highlanders head coach Dave Dew. “We’re so young, our average age isn’t even 21, so we have a huge future.”
– With files from Highlanders
sports@vicnews.com
