The South Delta Sun Devils didn't have anything to show for one of the biggest accomplishments at last week's provincial "AAA" senior girls field hockey championships.
The Sun Devils capped another impressive season with a fourth place finish in the 16-team event that took place at Town Centre Stadium in Coquitlam. South Delta captured its round-robin group with a 2-0-1 record then defeated West Vancouver 2-0 in the quarter-finals. That set-up a semi-final date with No. 1 ranked and defending champion Handsworth Royals.
The Devils hung tough with the North Shore powerhouse, surrendering a late goal in a 1-0 loss. The Royals went on to blast Cowichan 4-0 in the championship game.
"They have two very dynamic players and to be able to play them scoreless for 50 minutes is a real credit to the girls," said South Delta coach Neil McLennan. "We played very well defensively."
The Devils missed out on a podium finish after being edged 2-1 by Fraser Valley rival Gleneagle in the bronze medal game, despite having an edge in territorial play.
Grade 12 co-captain Libbie Pritchard saw limited action in the tournament after behind hurt two weeks earlier at the Fraser Valley Championships.
"She can do things that others can't," added McLennan. "We definitely missed not having her out there all the time."
Meanwhile, the Delta Pacers closed out a memorable return to senior girls field hockey by finishing 15th after a 1-0 win over Eric Hamber in their final game.
The Pacers went 1-2 in round-robin play, highlighted by a 3-2 win over McMath.
