A consolation trophy at the Bridgman Cup, league wins for the senior and junior boys soccer teams and ribbons for two cross-country runners highlighted the week in SMUS athletics. Volleyball teams also picked up victories as the Blue Jags continued a busy fall season.
Competitive Field Hockey
The SMUS competitive field hockey team went undefeated over its final three games, including a 1-0 win over Alberni on Sunday morning, to take the “Little Bridgman” consolation trophy on the final day of the annual Bridgman Cup tournament at UVic. The tournament, which has existed since 1937, is the most prestigious high school field hockey tournament in North America.
Farah Sinclair scored the team's lone goal for SMUS in the fourth quarter in the 9/10th-place game.
“After four games, both teams were really tired but the SMUS girls kept playing and kept running for all 60 minutes,” said SMUS head coach Ali Baggott. “We had most of the play for the game including some penalty corners that were really well saved by the Alberni goalkeeper. It was a big weekend for us as we get ready for Islands and, hopefully, AAA provincials. Games against quality teams like Handsworth and Sentinel this week help us stay alert to the areas we need to pay attention to. The team really showed how willing they were to adapt and buy in to improve as a team. I'm super proud of the efforts this weekend.”
The Blue Jags advanced to the consolation final with a tight 2-1 win over Oak Bay on Saturday afternoon. Olive Winters intercepted an Oak Bay transfer, went to the circle with confidence and gave the Jags the early lead. The second SMUS goal came from Matilda Wagner, whose penalty corner injection set up Piper Geddes for the initial shot on goal. Wagner then scored off the ensuing scramble at the far post.
Earlier on Saturday, the Blue Jags tied Alberni 0-0 in their first consolation-round game — a match in which SMUS wasn’t able to take advantage of a multitude of penalty corners.
The Blue Jags opened the tournament with a pair of shutout losses on Friday, falling to powerful and four-time Bridgman Cup winners Handsworth 6-0 and then dropping a tough 1-0 decision to Sentinel, who finished sixth in the tournament.
Grade 12s Anna Beaudry, Elspeth Rodger, Talia Klenz and Mia Wong in goal were critical to the team's success. Multi-sport athletes Reese Trumpy, Lauren Arndt and Linn Kuepper proved their value in their fitness, competitiveness and ability to pick up the game quickly.
SMUS will continue its Lower Island regular season with a game against Oak Bay this Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at UVic. This is the first of a best-of-two series this week and next week for a berth to the AAA Provincial Championship, hosted Nov. 11-14 by Quw'utsun in Cowichan.
Development Field Hockey
The SMUS development field hockey team dropped a 2-0 decision to Lambrick Park in its first full-field game of the Lower Island season last Wednesday at UVic.
“It was great to have a full team with efforts from everyone on the pitch. We had great goalkeeping from Mia Wong who really kept us in it” said SMUS coach Olivia Hawkshaw. “She made some incredible saves throughout the game.”
The development team will take on GNS-2 at UVic this Wednesday, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Senior Boys Soccer
The SMUS senior boys soccer team earned two important Lower Island AA league wins this past week, moving the Blue Jags near the top of the standings.
SMUS opened its regular season with a 4-1 win over St. Andrew’s on Tuesday at Reynolds Park. Manu Achuthan, Josh Hobbs, Hendrik Dietrich and Yusuke Tomita scored for the Blue Jags.
Achuthan netted a hat trick for the Jags as they downed visiting Edward Milne 6-1 on Thursday. Milann Wenham added a pair of goals and Andrei Marti contributed a single.
The Blue Jags are now 2-0 in league play with a goal differential of plus-eight. This will be an important week as SMUS hosts Lambrick Park on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. and travels to Centennial Park on Thursday to face Stelly’s, also 2-0, at 3:30 p.m.
The only team ahead of SMUS in the standings is Glenlyon Norfolk School, which has seven points on two wins and a tie. The Blue Jags, who have a game in hand on the Gryphons, will play their final game of the regular season on Oct. 20 at GNS.
Junior A Boys Soccer
The junior boys soccer team started Lower Island league play in strong fashion this week after several training sessions to prepare.
The Junior Jags beat Lambrick Park 6-0 last Monday at Tyndall Turf. Santiago Rankin scored twice for SMUS, with one goal each from Declan Ross, Oliver Ely, Rylan Gareau and Ian Wilmott-Silva.
The SMUS juniors then blanked Claremont 5-0 in their first home game on Wednesday. Avery Mavrikos led the way with three goals, while Ross and Wilmott-Silva added one apiece.
Isaiah Pereira and Tristan Lobb shared the shutout in each game.
SMUS sits in first place in its pool in the league standings at 2-0, ahead of Oak Bay, also 2-0, on goal differential. The Junior Jags will travel to Oak Bay this Wednesday for a game that will decide the pool winner and seeding for the Lower Island playoffs. Kickoff is at 3:45 p.m. at Oak Bay.
Junior B Boys Soccer
Danny Perrins scored all three goals for the SMUS junior B team in a 6-3 loss at Glenlyon Norfolk School last Wednesday.
The junior B team opened up a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes. GNS tied the game by halftime and then went ahead 3-2.
“We then equalized but, in an effort to get everyone on, we conceded three goals,” said SMUS coach Gregor Klenz.
SMUS began the week with a 7-2 defeat at Vic High last Monday. Kevin Hernandez Chavez was the man of the match with both goals for the Jags.
“The boys gave up five in the first half and then tied the second half 2-2,” Klenz said. “We created great chances and had a good amount of possession.”
SMUS will host St. Andrew’s in its next league game this Wednesday at 3:45 p.m.
Cross Country
SMUS runners Reese Trumpy and Natalie DiFelice-Oinonen each won ribbons on Wednesday in the third Lower Island cross-country race of the season at Beaver Lake.
The two SMUS runners finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the five-kilometre senior girls race.
Blue Jags runners will compete in the fourth and final Lower Island race of the season this Thursday at UVic, beginning at 3:45 p.m.
Senior Girls Volleyball
The senior girls volleyball team won three of four games as it hosted a Lower Island league series last Tuesday night. The Blue Jags swept Victor Brodeur 25-12, 25-10 and split with Reynolds 10-25, 25-20.
SMUS will resume Lower Island league play this Tuesday at Claremont, meeting teams from the host school and Esquimalt. Action begins at 6 p.m.
The Blue Jags will also travel to Mill Bay this Friday and Saturday for the Brentwood College Invitational tournament.
Senior Boys Volleyball
The SMUS senior boys played some very competitive volleyball against high-level opponents as they hosted Lower Island action last Wednesday night.
The Blue Jags went toe-to-toe in losses to Claremont (18-25, 23-25) and Oak Bay (24-26, 18-25) and also swept GNS (25-15, 25-15).
The SMUS seniors will travel to Brookes Westshore for league action this Wednesday against Parkland and the host school, beginning at 6 p.m.
Junior Boys Volleyball
The SMUS junior boys hosted Lower Island volleyball league action on Thursday afternoon. The Junior Jags fell 25-22, 25-17 to Lambrick Park in their first match. In their second, they lost 25-19, 25-15 to Vic High.
“Highlights included Theo Vu’s monster blocking, Rakshith Arun’s remarkable defence, and Calvin Winnett’s powerful spikes,” said SMUS coach James Rees.
The Junior Jags will travel to Parkland for more league action this Thursday against Mount Douglas and the host school, beginning at 4 p.m. They will also play in a Spectrum tournament this Friday and Saturday.
Junior A Girls Volleyball
The SMUS junior A girls volleyball team earned its first victories of the Lower Island season last Friday, sweeping sets against both host Esquimalt and Pacific Christian. Iben Hamilton was a standout as libero for the Jags, as was Elizabeth Walker in the setting position.
The junior A girls will host Belmont in Lower Island Division 1 action this Thursday, beginning at 4 p.m.
Junior B Girls Volleyball
The SMUS junior B girls won three of their four games in Lower Island Division 2 action at Parkland last Monday. The Blue Jags swept Edward Milne and split with the host team.
The Blue Jags also took part in a tournament at Spectrum over the Thanksgiving weekend, improving steadily throughout the competition and winning their final game against Duncan Christian with an 18-16 victory in the third set.
The junior B girls will see Division 2 action against Parkland and the host school this Wednesday at St. Andrew’s, starting at 4 p.m.
