The Marine Harvest U14 girls Riptide soccer team culminated a dominant season by capturing the VIPL championship with an impressive win over their rival, Mid-Island Storm, on Saturday, March 4.
The Riptide team comprises of players from the Comox Valley, Powell River and Port Hardy. They compete against five teams from Victoria and the mid-Island. This group of girls came together for the first time in September and proceeded to gel into a team that finished the regular season with 16 wins, one draw and only one defeat. Their dominant season afforded them a bye in the first round of the playoffs before winning their semifinal match against Juan De Fuca 5-1 on Feb. 25.
This victory meant a championship game against the Storm, an athletic team that battled the Riptide hard all season. The Riptide girls would not be denied in the final game, with a strong effort winning 3-0.
The Riptide dominated all phases of the field from the goal out and showed that they are indeed the class of the U14 girls division.
The victory qualifies the Riptide for the Coastal Cup tournament in April, and the provincial championships, July in Surrey.
The coaching staff of Andrew Duncan, Randall Heidt and Colin Power, and tireless team manager Becky Sunderland, are proud of this group of girls and look forward to the competition ahead. They also want to thank the Riptide technical team of Shel Brodsgaard and Ken Garraway for their support.
Finally, a special thank-you to parents who have provided unlimited support throughout the season to this exceptional group of young ladies.
