In a Cinderella story, the Upper Island Storm U18 girls’ soccer team is the VIPL “A” Cup winners and has advanced to the Coastal Cup and Provincials. The team is coached by Iain Baird and Geoff Whiting, managed by Louise Kirk and made up of two Ladysmith girls — Aliyah Griffin and Katelyn Horsley — and girls from Nanaimo and Parksville. The team played with all their hearts on March 1 in Saanich to come back from a 2-0 deficit against Saanich to win 5-3. The team has played just about the entire season with only one spare on the bench and without its goalie due to injuries. Coastal Cup play begins in April, and Provincials are in July.
