A season that began with guarded expectations concluded as the best-ever in the history of McMath senior girls field hockey.
The Wildcats capped their memorable campaign with a fifth place finish at last month’s B.C. “AAA” Championships. The hosts’ only defeats came at the hands of eventual winner (Handsworth) and runner-up (Kelowna). It was accomplished with the smallest roster (13) of the 16 participating teams and not a whole lot of experience either.
McMath concluded the memorable run with a win in a penalty shootout over West Vancouver. Earlier in the day, the girls knocked off Fraser Valley champion South Delta 3-1.
“The fact this was considered as a rebuilding year for us made it even that much more special,” said head coach TJ Sander. “We have definitely had deeper teams in the past but when you look at just the 11 on the field at any given time and how they played as a team, it’s the best I have seen.”
The Wildcats’ roster featured players from all five grades and it took contributions from each one to achieve such a high finish. Even getting through the regular season was no easy feat as often McMath began games shorthanded with players having other commitments.
What the Steveston school did have going for it was a pair of provincial team players to build around — Dakota Chan and Aish Sander. They both helped B.C. win silver at last summer’s U18 nationals.
Chan, the Grade 12 captain, battled through an injury and showed her resilience in the wins over South Delta and West Van. Sander, the Grade 11 assistant captain, really stepped up her game when Chan was injured and led the attack in goals and assists. Both girls attracted interest from university coaches as well.
The lone other senior on the roster was Kate Schmidt. She could be counted on her for versatile play, whether it be at forward, midfield or in the back.
Samantha Trueman was another standout Grade 11, anchoring the backline. Emma Fedoruk also provided terrific work as a defender, while Sarah Godfrey and Ellie Wan elevated their games to another level for provincials. The Grade 11s also included Veronica Surette who got stronger with each game and was counted on as a dependable player.
Grade 10 Lara Schmidt continued her scoring touch right through the tournament and Sabrina Fata always played with a strong work ethic.
Grade 9 Hope Chan elevated her play for the championships and continued her strong two-way play.
Grade 8 goalkeeper Abby Poger played beyond her years throughout the season. She was at her best in the shootout win over West Van where her aggressive style paved the way for her team’s win.
Isabella Schaefer gained some valuable experience and played with some great tenacity. She will be part of the Wildcats’ future moving forward.
Dakota Chan, Sander, Poger, Schmidt, Hope Chan and Godfrey all received player of the game awards.
The Wildcats earned a quarter-final berth by finishing second in their pool group. It was highlighted by a win over Argyle. The girls also defeated Centennial.
