by Cheyenne Bergenhenegouwen:
It came down to one shot for the bronze medal in girls soccer, as Thompson-Okanagan (Zone 2) edged Fraser River-Delta (Zone 4) by a final score of 4-3.
The winning team was ecstatic, to say the least.
“We are just really fortunate,” said Jaymie MacKenzie of Kamloops.
Her teammate MC Marshall confirmed and added, “We are happy to just be here, because there are a lot of teams who would like to be in our place right now."
There were some tense moments for the winning team following a goal by Fraser River-Delta that was ruled offside.
“I was falling apart,” Oliver, B.C.'s Anya Nazaroff said. “I didn’t know it was offside until I saw my coach cheering.”
Nazaroff’s teammate Kaitlin Smith of Kelowna had a better view of the goal.
“I knew it was offside so I wasn’t worried,” she said.
The Thompson-Okanagan team is taking a lot more home with them than just a bronze medal though.
12-year-old Payton Brisco of Kelowna said the accomplishment conquering her challenges is what she will take back with her. Britney Young of Penticton piped up that the car pooling was really fun.
Teammates Savanna Yamamoto of Cawston and West Kelowna's Teaghan Wallace also shared a bit of their experience, stating, “Just being here and getting to know how to play a better game of soccer with friends was a great experience.”
Goalkeeper Kate Cartwright of Kamloops, who had much of the pressure on her, stated her favorite part of the tournament, other than winning bronze, was playing against the Vancouver teams.
“They were really good” she said.
And, that is what makes the BC Summer games such a great experience for the young athletes. They get to play with and meet new people from all over the province, in some cases making lifelong friends.