The Ballenas Whalers senior girls soccer team started strong but wilted in the end against Shawnigan Lake in a zone playoff match held on their home turf last week.
The Whalers pressured Shawnigan Lake from the start and an own goal from the opposing team gave the hosts a big boost. They scored two more to end the first half with a comfortable 3-0 lead.
But in the second half, it was Shawnigan Lake that dominated and scored an early goal to make it 3-1. The Whalers got the goal back to regain their three-point lead. Shawnigan Lake, however, was stronger down the stretch, scoring four goals to steal the win from the Whalers. Scorers for the Whalers were Nicole Bolger, Jules Clark and Nana Haranasano.
Larry Stefanek, who co-coaches the team with Allison Lavoie, said it was a tough game to lose for the Whalers, who were competitive throughout despite losing some players to injury. This was their first league game against Shawnigan Lake this season, as the visitors play in the south division of their zone.
The game was a playoff seeding game for the North Island Championships that will take play at Brooks Secondary in Powell River May 7-8.
Stefanek said the Whalers are going to be seeded second at the North Islands. He added that, despite the team missing players due to injuries, the Whalers have a good chance of landing a berth in the Island Championships, set for May 14-15 in Victoria.
NEWS Staff