It's hard to imagine anyone unseating the powerhouse that is the Horizon Aigles senior girls soccer team this year - but the playoff matchups in behind them should prove more than interesting as all six teams competing in the SDSSAA Girls Premier Division advance to post-season play this week.
The St Charles College Cardinals secured the second bye to the semi-finals on Monday, edging the Bishop Carter Gators 1-0 on a penalty kick goal from Bryn Hobson and a clean sheet delivered by keeper Izabel Courville.
"She (coach Kristy Hebert) really wanted up to be aggressive, to challenge them and put pressure on them," noted grade nine striker / midfielder Jenna Provincial. "She didn't want us to stay back."
With the standard strong winds in play, a virtual mainstay it seems at the James Jerome Sports Complex, that strategy was particular apparent in the second half for SCC, the Cards finishing with a regular season record of 3-1-1.
"We tried to get more shots on net once we had the wind at our advantage," said Provincial. "We knew that we had to keep going, to keep going to get shots. When we were against the wind, the shots were just floating and not going in."
Like most teams in the league, St Charles features a healthy mix of student athletes ranging from grade nine to grade twelve, creating a bit of a daunting scenario for newcomers to high-school soccer.
"It is a little bit intimidating but I know a lot of them (SCC seniors)," said Provincial. "They're very supportive, both on the field and off. When I don't know how to do something, they are always communicating with me on the field."
There remains some shuffling that will happen in league standings as the Lo-Ellen Park Knights (1-2-1) close out regular season play against the Collège Notre-Dame Alouettes (0-3-1) on Wednesday afternoon, the Purple & Black looking to overtake Bishop Carter (2-3-0) in third place.
Thursday will see the #3 vs #6 / #4 vs #5 encounters, with the winners moving on to face Horizon and St Charles in semi-final action next Friday.
