It comes down to the Belmont Bulldogs and Lambrick Park Lions in today's Ryan Cup final, 3:30 p.m. on the UVic turf field.
It's the second straight trip to the high school girls city soccer final for Lambrick.
On Tuesday Emma Entzminger scored twice to push Lambrick past the Oak Bay Breakers 2-1 while Belmont edged the Stelly’s Stingers 5-3 in overtime in the simultaneously played semifinals at UVic.
It’s been 18 years and counting for community coach Lloyd Powell who is on the verge of something big with the Belmont Bulldogs.
The West Shore has had plenty of athletic successes in that time but not on the soccer pitch. Not like this.
The Bulldogs won the AAA Lower Island high school girls soccer league for the first time since 1998 and played the Lambrick Park Lions in the Ryan Cup final for the city championship at UVic on Thursday.
Results of the Ryan Cup final were past press time.
Sisters Kristen and Marisa Livingstone both scored to help propel the Bulldogs past the Stelly’s Stingers 5-3 in Tuesday’s semifinal at UVic. The elder sister, Kristen, also a member of the Victoria Highlanders, is front and centre on the Bulldogs team. But the soon-to-be University of Alberta Pandas soccer player is surrounded by a lot of talent, Marisa included, the coach said.
“Kristen is exceptional and they’re both strong but we have lots of strong players,” Powell said. “It’s been a great season. We did well at the UVic tourney a few weeks back and could have done even better there. It’s a disciplined group of girls who play the way that we want them to play.
The Bulldogs took a 3-1 lead early in the game but sat back and let the Stingers tied it up. Marisa and Maddy Yesaki scored for the Bulldogs in extra time as the Bulldogs regained the form that got them up 3-1 in the first place. Marisa also scored in regulation, as did Kristen and Kate Payter.
Alix Yee, Frankie Chatwin and Nina Laflamme scored for the Stingers.
Lions exact Ryan revenge
The Lambrick Park Lions flipped the record over and played a new song with a 2-1 win over the Oak Bay Breakers in Tuesday’s Ryan Cup semifinal.
It avenges Lambrick’s 3-0 loss to the Breakers in last year’s Ryan Cup final. Lambrick was the only AA team remaining in the Ryan Cup final four.
Emma Entzminger scored within the first 15 minutes of the second half to put Lambrick up 1-0.
But Oak Bay stormed back on a goal by Camille Van Tassel and nearly tied the game.
It was a finish coaches Lauren Goodmanson and Melissa Orton, a pair of former Lambrick players, weren’t happy with.
“Oak Bay took it to us and found another gear in the last 20 minutes, we were really fortunate we didn’t get punished,” Orton said.
“I told the girls after the game, be proud of the fact we were able to hold them off but you don’t want to be the type of team that holds teams off. It’s not an easy feeling.”
The Lions created several good chances in the first half but didn’t create as many opportunities in the second.
It’s been another sizzling season for the Lions, returning to the Ryan Cup final, the city’s crossover tournament with A, AA and AAA schools. The Lions’ only loss so far was to the Glenlyon Norfolk Gryphons in the UVic tournament final.
On Monday the Lions enter the AA Islands at Shawnigan Lake School.
The Breakers, meanwhile, hope to bounce back from the Ryan Cup semifinal loss as the team enters the AAA Island championships at UVic on Monday.
“We’re constantly improving throughout the season and if everyone commits to playing at their highest level, we could have a very strong Island tournament,” coach Brent Garraway said.
Three of Oak Bay’s leaders, Elise Butler, Jessie Collison and Katie Hanson, have been with the team for three years.
“I would love to see them accomplish something special in their final year,” the coach added.
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