The Dr. Charles Best secondary Blue Devils are high school girls’ soccer AAA provincial champions after defeating Fleetwood in a stunning overtime victory.
With things knotted at one goal each, coach Alfonso Napoletano told his players to keep attacking in extra time of the championship bout, which took place at the University of Victoria on Saturday.
“We were hoping to score in overtime to avoid the penalty kicks, which as everyone knows, is like a lottery,” he said.
Fortunately for the Blue Devils, that is exactly what happened, when Andrea Perrotta bent the ball around a wall of Fleetwood players in a free kick in overtime, netting the goal from one yard outside the penalty box.
“It was a world class goal,” said Napoletano of the game winner.
The Blue Devils managed to hold off a strong Fleetwood attack for the remainder of the game, with every Charles Best player excitedly standing on the sidelines until the final whistle blew.
Earlier in the game, Best opened the scoring when striker Kathryn Harvey beat three players on her way into the box, where she buried a fabulous shot in the far corner 15 minutes into the match.
But Fleetwood bounced back with a goal in the second half that tied things up, before Perotta’s overtime heroics.
Saturday’s championship final was not the first time the Blue Devils have squared off against Fleetwood. The two clubs met in the bronze medal game of the Fraser Valley championships two weeks ago, a game Best lost in penalty kicks.
“We knew about some of their best and dangerous players and we planned to man mark them,” Napoletano said. “Both teams are equal in talent and have some game breakers.”
The championship win is the first time that a girls team at Best has won a provincial championship. Napoletano coached the boys soccer squad, which won the title in 2009, and said that he is proud of the girls team for the history they have made with the school.
“They demonstrated so much desire and determination to compete hard so they can achieve their goal to become provincial champions,” he said.
Best was undefeated on their way to the finals.
The club played Argyle secondary to a draw in Game 1, before defeating Kelowna 4-0 in the second match of the tournament.
Best then defeated Reynolds secondary 1-0 before entering the playoff portion of the tournament.
As the pool winner, the Coquitlam team faced off against Elgin Park in the semifinals, downing the Surrey club 2-1. That set the stage for the championship game against Fleetwood.
@gmckennaTC
