Two goals late in the first half made all the difference as the Cowichan Secondary Thunderbirds were topped by Oak Bay in the battle for the Island AAA field hockey championship.
Originally scheduled for last Friday, the game was moved to this past Monday, and the teams squared off under pouring rain at the Cowichan Sportsplex.
“The game was very exciting,” Cowichan head coach Caitlin Erickson said. “We started with a lot of momentum in the first quarter and were moving the ball very well. In the second quarter we had two minor breakdowns and Oak Bay was able to capitalize making the score 2-0.
“In the second half, we had a couple of exciting opportunities to score but unfortunately could not get the ball in the net.”
Standouts for Cowichan included Grace Paddle, who generated several scoring chances with her speed and pressure up front, Aly Denis, who had excellent ball control and made countless tackles in the middle of the field, and goalkeeper Clara Astheimer, who made some incredible saves in the second half.
The T-Birds could get another shot at Oak Bay next week when they host the AAA provincials on Nov. 10-12 at the Cowichan Sportsplex and Shawnigan Lake School.
