The Earl Marriott Mariner are heading to senior boys soccer provincials – and they may even head there as Fraser Valley champions when all is said and done.
Despite being undermanned in the beginning, the EMS senior squad rolled through the first three Fraser Valley championship games, and is set for the championship tilt Thursday.
The Mariners, ranked 11th out of 16 teams, opened the valley tournament with a 4-1 win over Abbotsford on Nov. 1 – and they won despite playing without an injured top scorer and top defender, as well as two other key players who had to miss the game due to prior academic commitments.
In their second game, they defeated North Surrey 5-1 – led by a three-goal outburst from Karim Afilal – which was enough to qualify them for the provincial tournament.
“The boys are in heaven right now,” said coach Nathalie LaRoche after the game.
In semifinals Monday, Marriott beat Coquitlam’s Terry Fox Secondary 6-1 to advance to finals. Senior boys soccer provincials are scheduled for Nov. 24-26 in Burnaby Lake.