For the second time in three years the St. Michaels University School Blue Jags are the AA boys provincial soccer champions.
The Blue Jags defeated North Vancouver’s Bodwell Bruins 2-1 in an all-independent school final in Burnaby on Wednesday.
“Our main goal was to win provincials, we accomplished that, and now [the players] can enjoy the experience and look forward to the Colonist Cup [city] final against Reynolds [on Tuesday],” said SMUS coach Cam Hundal.
In Wednesday’s AA provincial final, Bodwell took a 1-0 on a corner kick header. The Blue Jags pressed hard and eked out a win on a pair of late goals from Harry Shaw. His first was with eight minutes left, his second at the start of injury time.
“[Shaw] had two chances, and he scored two goals, he’s been phenomenal all season scoring tough goals in crucial games and today he killed it,” said SMUS captain Dennis Siegrist.
It was Siegriest, SMUS’ centre midfielder and the MVP of the tournament, who connected with Shaw for the first goal.
“We got the ball at our own box, and I just played a through ball that made it all the way to [Shaw],” Siegrist said. “He outpaced the centre backs and toe poked it past their goalie.”
SMUS were unable to win a third straight AA Island title the week previous but managed to finish third, thereby qualifying for provincials.
The team is coached by former UVic Vikes star Cam Hundal, and split almost half as Grade 11s and 12s.
“[Bodwell] was definitely a tough test for us,” Hundal said. “It’s especially hard going into these games, you don’t know much about the other teams.”
The final featured very few legitimate scoring chances, which put all the more pressure Blue Jags goalkeeper Jasper Bosley to make the plays. One day earlier SMUS won 4-0 over W.L. Seaton of Vernon in what was probably the team’s best performance all season, said Siegrist.
“We were ready, [Hundal] prepared us well, came out really strong and they were deflated early,” Siegrist said.
The international student from Switzerland scored twice in the semifinal, two of his four goals in the tournament.
reporter@saanichnews.com