The run of success for the senior girl’s soccer program at South Delta Secondary continues.
After beating Salish Secondary 2-1 for the South Fraser Championship, the Sun Devils clinched a spot in the provincial championships, set for this week (May 29 to 31) at Cloverdale Athletic Park. This year will mark the 21st consecutive year that a SDSS senior girls’ team will compete at the soccer provincials.
SDSS won bronze last year and the provincial title in 2022. They have appeared in the semifinal round 10 times.
“I think we have a great amount of seniors that have been committed and helping to lead our younger players,” said coach Ricky Gill. “We have some Grade 9 kids that have put in a lot of shifts, committed themselves and have really bought into the overall system.”
With 16 players on the roster, that level of commitment from the players has been particularly important to the teams’ success.
The Sun Devils went 7-0 in league play and earned first place in the league.
They beat Earl Marriott and Salish in the South Fraser playoffs.
SDSS also went to a pair of tournaments – one in South Surrey where they finished fourth and at the University of Victoria where they went 2-0-1.
“The tournaments allowed us for a lot of team bonding off the field, but on the field, getting them into different positions and to see what works best in terms of positioning for the overall team,” he said.
SDSS is in a pool with Earl Marriott, South Kamloops, and Spectrum from Vancouver Island. SDSS must win their pool to advance to the medal round, which starts Thursday afternoon.
“It is a good grouping for us. If everyone comes out and executes and is dialed in, we can go on a good run,” he said.
