TRAVIS PATERSON/BLACK PRESS NDSS player Cassandra Hartwich, left, vies for the ball against Oak Bay’s Lily Wray during in the senior AAA girls’ Island final at Oak Bay High on Tuesday. Nanaimo won 5-2 though both teams qualify for the upcoming AAA provincial championships in Surrey.

TRAVIS PATERSON/BLACK PRESS NDSS player Cassandra Hartwich, left, vies for the ball against Oak Bay’s Lily Wray during in the senior AAA girls’ Island final at Oak Bay High on Tuesday. Nanaimo won 5-2 though both teams qualify for the upcoming AAA provincial championships in Surrey.

NDSS wins Island soccer championship

Nanaimo beats Oak Bay in senior AAA girls' final, advances to provincials

  • May. 15, 2019 12:00 a.m.

Make it three senior girls’ Island championships for the Nanaimo District Secondary School duo of Cassidy Byrne and Jayden Saywell.

The two multi-sport athletes helped propel the NDSS Islanders to a 5-2 win over Oak Bay in the senior girls’ AAA Vancouver Island Soccer Championships at Oak Bay High on Tuesday. Both teams qualify for the AAA senior girls’ soccer provincials coming up May 29 to 31 at Cloverdale Park in Surrey.

“Our two teams have some of the strongest players on the Island,” said Byrne. “It’s been quite a competitive atmosphere to play in. I’m really happy with everyone’s level of play and it couldn’t have been a better tournament.”

She and Saywell had previously won Island championships in 2018-19 in volleyball and basketball.

As for the goal scorers in the Island final, Mackenzie Guild and Ava Alexander each struck twice for Nanaimo, with one from Aleeya Middleton.

Both Oak Bay and Nanaimo went 3-0 in the round robin to qualify for the final. Oak Bay nearly didn’t make it, as the Bays were tied 1-1 with Claremont on Tuesday morning and needed a last-minute goal to advance.

“Nanaimo is such a good team, their whole forward line is great, they’re so speedy,” said Oak Bay captain Presley Rangel.

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READ MORE: Oak Bay, Claremont in showdown for spot in Island final

reporter@oakbaynews.com

Nanaimo News Bulletin