It was a historic weekend for the Vancouver Island Wave as their soccer teams claimed provincial titles and one even earned a bid to nationals.
Youth teams from the EA Sports B.C. Soccer Premier League (BCSPL) hit the turf last weekend (June 23 to 24) to play for the B.C. Soccer Provincial Premier Cup.
Eight franchises from BCSPL sent teams to battle it out for the top spots in the province, with one franchise on the Island, one from the Interior and the other six from the Lower Mainland.
For the first time in 13 years the championship was hosted on the southern part of Vancouver Island, with the finals taking place at Westhills and Goudy stadiums in Langford.
The last time the championships were hosted on the southern Island was in 2005 and this was the first time the tournament was hosted by the VI Wave franchise.
Representing the Island, the Vancouver Island Wave is made up of players from the Lower Island Soccer Association and the Upper Island Soccer Association.
Leading the way on Saturday was the Wave’s U14 boys, who beat Mountain United 1-0. Led by coach Victor da Costa Ferreira, this is the second year in a row the Wave U14 has advanced to the finals, and raised the cup at the final whistle. Sebastian Magana scored the lone goal and Emile Abele was named MVP.
“I’m extremely proud of the boys,” da Costa Ferreira said. We work a lot on mental prep, mindset and effort, the whole team was organized and there for the task really.”
Last year, as U13 players, da Costa Ferreira’s team finished first in the league and mini season, making it to the final game, but lost in the championship.
Not to be outdone, the U15 boys also captured their own title on Saturday, led by coaches Blair Sturrock and Riley O’Neil. Facing off against Surrey, the game was a rematch of last year’s final with the Wave coming out on top again. Armaan Nijjar and Caleb Vallance scored for the Wave in the 2-1 victory.
In additional to winning the trophy, the team has also advanced at the B.C. representative at the Canada Soccer’s U15 National championship, which will be held in Laval, Que. during Thanksgiving weekend. This will be the first national championship appearance for the Wave franchise.
During Sunday play, the girls had a chance to earn their own title. The Wave’s U16 girls’ squad hit the field and came out on top against Surrey United. Lead by coaches Steph Steiner and Lyle Eggen, the team’s 2-0 victory came with a penalty kick from Sophie Miranda and another goal by Ava Alexander.
Last season the VI Wave’s U14 boys and U16 boys brought home provincial trophies while the U13 boys and U18 girls were also finalists.
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