If there ever was a year Stephen Burns and Brent Sweeney would get an early start on securing hotel reservations this would be it.
The longtime South Delta Secondary teachers and coaches of the senior girls soccer team are coming off a second provincial championship in the program’s rich history that includes a record 19-consecutive tournament appearances. Their roster includes seven returning starters yet Sweeney and Burns aren’t tempted to mess with their tradition of leaving travel arrangements until a B.C. berth is safely locked up sometime in mid-May.
The Sun Devils opened South Fraser South Zone regular season play last week with a pair of convincing wins, including a 6-0 home field romp over the Grandview Heights Grizzlies on April 5. Six more games will follow in the weeks ahead, leading up to provincial qualifying with Kelowna hosting this year’s B.C. AAA Championships, June 1-3.
There are certainly some holes to fill in the line-up from a year ago, starting with 2022 provincial MVP Brianna Jassmann, who has taken her career to the University of Calgary. Also gone are provincial all-star Teila Noble, who anchored the team’s backline while departed twins Kate and Jane McDonald provided tremendous leadership. However, there was also plenty of depth as well with younger players ready to step into those key roles, which they will have to do this year in order for South Delta to have a chance at a repeat.
The North Delta Huskies are also off to a 2-0 start out of the gate with wins over Earl Marriott (5-1) and Semiahmoo (6-1). The Sun Devils and Huskies are slated to meet on April 24 in North Delta.
The Delta Pacers fell to 0-2 with a 2-0 loss to Panorama Ridge last Wednesday.
