Nelson U18 Selects claim BC Soccer Provincial B Cup
By The Nelson Daily Sports
It’s been quite an amazing run for a group of Nelson Youth Soccer players.
For the third consecutive year, many on Nelson Selects U18 Girls squad have finished in the medals at the BC Soccer Provincial B Cup.
Chantal Gammie scored a hat-trick and Hanna Quinn posted the shutout to power the Nelson Selects to a 3-0 victory over the hometown Blaze in the final of the U18 Girl’s Provincial B Cup Sunday in Kamloops.
The same group of players won the Provincial B Title at the U16 Division, finishing second in 2017 at the U18 level before capturing the Gold Medal Sunday.
Except for some key saves by veteran keeper Hanna Quinn, the Selects made it look easy en route to the provincial championship Sunday in Spookmak Country.
Gammie opened the scoring 12 minutes into the contest, taking a nice breakaway pass from Cara Brawdy before maneuvering around Blaze keeper for the game’s opening goal.
Then it was time for Quinn, who is off to the University of Lethbridge in the fall, to shine. Quinn made a diving save that saved a sure goal — one of many key stops in the game — and preserve the lead for Nelson. The save was a turning point in the game as Nelson took a 2-0 lead when Julia Burkart sent Gammie in on a breakaway the skillful striker would not squander.
After Nelson had a goal disallowed, the Selects found the back of the net again as Gammie burned the Blaze defence before converting the hat-trick goal.
Nelson, which gained a bye in the first round of the tournament, managed to steal 2-1 victory over Penticton Pinnacles Friday. This was perhaps Quinn’s finest hour as the Selects keeper kept the Kootenay Reps in the game with many remarkable saves — two coming as she swatted the ball off the goal line with the game tied 1-1.
The team’s exchanged goals, with the Pinnacles opening the scoring and Gammie replying for Nelson. After Quinn kept Nelson in the game, Gammie converted the winner in the final minutes of the game to power the Selects.
In the final game of the round robin, Nelson blasted Bays United of Victoria 5-1 to advance to the final. Jodi Surina, Gammie with a pair, Mattea Lorenzo and Shianne Michalchuk scored for Nelson. Quinn was once again solid between the pipes for the Selects.
The Championship concludes what has been a run for the ages for a select few on the Selects roster.
Both Quinn and Burkart have won an astounding five provincial medals — Gold and Silver at the BC High School level for the L.V. Rogers Bombers and three in Provincial B competition — two gold and one silver — playing for Nelson Youth Soccer.
Grace Dehnel, Bella Guderyan, Ashley Hall and Shianne Michalchuk won four provincial medals — the quartet did not play for LVR during the 2016 Provincial Championship.
CORNER KICKS: Hanna Quinn has accepted an offer to play in CIS Women's Soccer for University of Lethbridge. Quinn is joined at the CIS Division by teammates Chantal Gammie and Julia Burkart, who will play in the fall for Thompson Rivers University. . . . Chantal Gammie joined Nelson this season from Smithers. The local soccer association did not have enough players to roster a team, allowing the striker to join the Selects.
