On familiar Saanich turf and in front of a raucous home crowd at Centennial Stadium, Spectrum Community School stormed its way to a provincial title in AAA high school girls soccer, capping off a perfect run with a 2-1 win over G.W. Graham in the championship final on May 31.
After finishing fourth a year ago, Spectrum climbed to the top in 2025, going unbeaten at the tournament hosted at the University of Victoria from May 29 to 31.
The road to gold featured wins over Salish (3-1), Burnaby Central (4-1), Walnut Grove (2-1), Argyle (1-0 in the semifinals) and finally G.W. Graham of Chilliwack.
“It was just absolute joy,” Spectrum athletic director Dom Butcher said. “Seeing the tears in our players’ eyes, it definitely got me emotional as well. It’s such a special feeling to share that with our girls, their families and our staff.”
The championship was years in the making for a group that’s been together since Grade 9 – and in many cases, longer.
“I’ve known some of our grads since they were six or seven, coaching them in the community,” Butcher said. “Just watching them grow and develop into amazing young female leaders – it’s a dream come true.”
The tournament didn’t start smoothly for Spectrum, who conceded an early goal to Salish after a freak bounce caught their keeper off guard. But the Thunder responded with three quick goals, all from Katharina Cronkhite, to take control of the match.
The team’s second game was a 4-1 statement win over Burnaby Central, with Charli Packford and Victoria Cronkhite each scoring a brace.
With a semifinal berth already secured, Spectrum rotated its lineup for the third match against Walnut Grove – last year’s finalists – and still came away with a gutsy 2-1 comeback victory.
“Our bench players stepped up big time,” said Butcher. “I told them before the tournament we’d need everyone, and they delivered.”
That rest proved vital in the semifinal, where Spectrum outlasted North Vancouver’s Argyle in a high-paced, physical contest. Victoria Cronkhite netted the game-winner with eight minutes remaining to send the Thunder to the final.
Centennial Stadium was the perfect stage for a hard-fought final against G.W. Graham.
Spectrum captain Clara Chudley opened the scoring with a thunderous strike before the visitors equalized on a penalty.
Chudley then came up clutch again in the second half, launching a shot that struck the crossbar and bounced down across the goal line – ultimately standing as the championship winner.
Victoria Cronkhite led the team with four goals and four assists. Katharina Cronkhite added three, while Chudley and Packford added two apiece.
It’s the second year in a row a Victoria-based school has won the AAA girls title, with Royal Bay claiming gold in 2024. Royal Bay placed sixth this year, followed by Oak Bay in ninth and Reynolds in 14th.
“This just speaks to the level of coaching and support in Greater Victoria,” Butcher said. “From soccer to rugby to everything else, our schools are proving they can compete with anyone in the province. It’s a real testament to the student-athletes, the families and the educators who back them.”
