After placing second in the league, Salmon Arm Secondary Junior Jewels cruised past third-place Vernon Secondary School 5-1 in the playoff semifinal on May 12 at Blackburn.
With the win, the Jewels hosted fourth- place Fulton who upset first-place Seaton in the other semifinal. In the playoff final May 14 at Blackburn, Salmon Arm jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Cassidy Staley and Laura Beth Moore. The Jewels made a rare mistake on defence a few moments before halftime that allowed Fulton to cut the lead in half. The second half saw the team play a disciplined half and, although unable to extend their lead, their strong defensive play allowed them to hang on for the 2-1 victory and claim the Okanagan Central League playoff championship. Next up for the Junior Jewels are the Okanagan Valley Championships next Friday and Saturday in Kamloops.
Season ends
The Senior Jewels soccer team finished their season on May 13. They played Mt Boucherie in the Okanagan semi-finals, losing 4-0. The score was not indicative of the play as the coach of the other team commented, “We were fortunate with the score.”
The team finished the season in fourth place in the league. They’re a young team with only five Grade 12s (three returning players from last year). The team learned a lot this year and steadily improved throughout the season, said coach Tricia Martin.
The pace and physicality of the game at the senior level is much faster and tougher.
With 10 returning players next year, all three coaches say they are excited to see what the team will accomplish then.