South Surrey Athletic Park was the scene of much jubilation Thursday afternoon, as senior boys soccer teams from around the region – including Surrey – were vying for Fraser Valley champions as well as spots at high-school provincials later this month.
In the Fraser Valley championship game, the Abbotsford Panthers defeated Surrey’s L.A. Matheson Mustangs 2-0, ending a title drought that had lasted more than a decade and a half.
Both clubs will advance to the provincial tournament, which is set for No. 22 in Burnaby.
Also heading to the B.C. showdown will be the Tamanawis Wildcats, after the Newton-based squad won their way in with a victory over fellow Surrey school, Fleetwood Park. The ‘Cats won the game – and qualified for provincials – after winning on penalty kicks.
Unlike many other senior boys teams, the Wildcats, coached by Paul Rai, have only a few players on its roster who play club soccer at the highest level – either Metro or High Performance League (HPL), Tamanawis athletic director Par Bains told Peace Arch News via email.
“That is why they were very happy with they won,” he said. “(Rai) has worked with some of these players since they were in Grade 9 and he has gotten them to… work towards a common goal of making it to the provincials and see what happens there.”
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