A pair of high school rivals from Coquitlam will line up against each other at Sunday’s U Sports women’s soccer final in Ottawa.
And they were both instrumental in getting their teams to the championship match.
Lauren Da Luz, a third-year defender with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees who graduated from Heritage Woods secondary school, chipped a harmless shot that somehow careened off a pair of McMaster Marauders defenders and into their own goal to give her team the early lead in the 19th minute of Saturday’s second semifinal match.
The Gee-Gees, who are hosting the tournament, went on to a 4-1 victory to earn a chance at winning only their second U Sports women’s soccer title.
In Saturday’s first semifinal, Dr.Charles Best grad Kathryn Harvey scored a dramatic goal in injury time to give her Trinity Western University Spartans a comeback 2-1 victory over the Cape Breton Capers. It was the third-year forward’s second game winner of the tournament, as she also scored the only goal in the Spartans’ 1-0 victory over the Laval Rouge et Or in the quarterfinal.
The Spartans’ advance to the final is a step further than last year’s championship tournament, when they were defeated in the semifinals. The team's roster also includes a pair of freshmen players from Port Moody, goalkeeper Ella Sutton and forward Madeline Low.
The gold medal match, in cold, snowy Ottawa, will be played at 12 p.m. PT.
