Two Port Hardy girls have contributed to a fantastic soccer season down island.
The MOWI Upper Island Riptide Under 18 Girls went undefeated with a record of 10 wins, 0 losses and 1 tie. Scoring 34 goals and only conceding five, which is an impressive feat when you are playing teams from Victoria and Nanaimo, says coach Scott Harris.
The girls were selected for the Riptide team last spring, started their season in September, and played through the winter to get to this point in the season. The players come from Powell River, Campbell River, Comox Valley and Pt Hardy. Madyson Harris and Kayley Clair are the two key players from Port Hardy who helped in the success of this team. Mady is the captain and is one of the leading scorers and playmakers on the team. Clair plays out wide and contributes in the attack with crosses that set up her teammates.
The girls and their parents make a huge commitment to train and play every weekend down island, but the reward is the opportunity to travel and compete with very competitive players from larger centers. Late February saw the girls go down and play Peninsula College in Port Angeles in the USA. The intensity level was much higher than what they were used to, but at the end of the day, they competed well and tied the game 3-3. Mady scored two goals, with the tying goal coming with about one minute left in the game. Harris said this was a great game for the girls, a fantastic experience, and showed the girls that they can compete at that next level.
Clair has one more year left of high school and youth soccer. Mady is looking to move on to university in the fall after she graduates from Port Hardy Secondary School. The Riptide Girls have showcased their soccer talents off to university and college coaches at tournaments. Mady has been seen and now accepted at University of Northern British Columbia to play and go to school. She has also been accepted at Acadia University in Nova Scotia and the coach of Peninsula was very impressed with her play and wants her to come down to the States and play.
The regular season is now complete, and the playoffs are just around the corner. The Girls have a bye into the final, as they were top of the league, and play their next game in the Comox Valley on Sunday March 8. This game will determine who represents Vancouver Island at the Provincial Championships in July in Vancouver.
- submitted article