Wildcats prove Kootenay roundball no pushover at Single-A provincials in Nakusp
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Mount Sentinel Wildcats dispatched zone rival and tournament host Nakusp 7-2 in consolation round action at the B.C. High School A Boy’s Soccer Championships.
The win was the first the tournament for the Cats, giving the Kootenay zone champs 15th spot in the tournament.
“As for the results, I’m thrilled,” said coach Dan Szabo.
“My goal was to not get clobbered and we competed with the best.”
“But I think we deserved a better position in the end,” Szabo added. “I’d say we were good enough for top eight, but that’s what can happen in these tournaments.”
Aaron Abrosimoff scored three times in the consolation match fro Mount Sentinel with Bryce Twible scoring twice and Johnny Johnson and Aslan Mackay adding singles.
Mount Sentinel opened the tournament Thursday poised for the upset.
Riley Osachoff scored five minutes into the match as the aggressive attacking style of the Wildcats proved troublesome for West Vancouver Mulgrave defenders.
The Cats led for most of the first half before Mulgrave got settled and took advantage of a few Mt. Sentinel errors and miscommunication in the defending third to jump to a 3-1 lead in the second half.
Twible score midway through the half to make it 3-2 and Mt. Sentinel pressed hard for the equalizer late in the match but it would be Mulgrave scoring a late marker to seal it.
Game two against Immaculata from Kelowna saw the Okanagan powerhouse score three unanswered goals in the second half to dump the Cats 4-1.
Trailing 1-0, Johnson took a pass from teammate Patrick Falle before placing a perfect shot past the Immaculata keeper.
However, the euphoria was short-lived as Immaculata would score just one minute later to restore the lead before adding two more goals.
“When you go up against a strong team like Immaculata, you just hope for the best,” Szabo explained. “They are a skilled side, deep and always near the top in the province but we gave them a game for 70 minutes and left it all on the pitch.”
Day two saw Mount Sentinel lose 4-2 to Westside of Prince George.
Goals by Twible and Johnson allowed Mount Sentinel to rally from a 2-0 deficit by halftime.
Mt. Sentinel was aggressive again in the second half, getting plenty of chances. But errors would cost them midway through the half, as Westside would hang on for the win.
The final game of the round robin saw the Wildcats lose 3-1 to Pemberton.
Abrosimoff scored a cracker in the second half for the lone Cats marker.
Erik Stewart, a Grade 10 student, was keeper for the entire tournament for Mount Sentinel.
“It was his first time at that position and despite not having experience played unbelievably well,” said Szabo.
“His reflexes, especially in-close were truly remarkable.”
Szabo also was impressed with the play of Carlos Berger for the energy he brought to the tournament.
Midfielder Spencer Szabo was named Commissioner’s winner for team MVP at the Friday night banquet.
Glenlyon Norfolk School of Victoria secured their sixth straight single-A boys provincial soccer title with a 1-0 victory over Immaculata on Saturday.
“(We had) only two subs and played one gutsy provincial tournament — five games in three days,” Szabo said.
“And like I told our players, the result doesn’t matter if you gave it every thing you have. Boy, did they.”
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