The York House Tigers Field Hockey finishes with an outstanding 4th at the AA BC Provincials!

The Tigers had big shoes to fill this year following last year's championship. With many graduating players last year, this year's team had many new, young players. The fall season is short, and the roster was not finalized until mid-September. With many unforeseen tournament cancellations, few players had played together, and opportunities to build together were limited. The Tigers play in a very competitive league against only Little Flower Academy and Crofton House School. At one point in the season, spirits were low, and the Tigers did not know if they would even qualify for provincials.

Regardless, the Tigers worked hard, held team bonding events, and believed in each other. At provincials, they commenced with comfortable wins against Southridge and Keremeos but lost against St. Michaels University School (SMUS), the #1 seed in the province, receiving second in their pool. On day two of the tournament, the Tigers met the Crofton Falcons in cold, rainy conditions in the quarter-finals. The winner of this game would go on to the semifinals.

Wary of the conditions and a slow start, the Tigers dominated defensively. In the second quarter, the Tigers executed a stunning breakaway and were able to tip the ball in from the right post. Knowing that a one-point lead is nothing, they continued to play relentlessly. Many short corners in a row threatened their 1-0 authority, but the Tigers were able to connect every pass. The final buzzer confirmed the Tiger's victory as they celebrated beating Crofton. The Tigers advance to the last four!

The semi-finals was a rematch against the eventual provincial champions, SMUS. Last year, York House beat SMUS 1-0 to clinch the championship; this season, SMUS was on a mission and won it. In the bronze medal game, the Tigers faced a strong Collingwood team, who took home the bronze.

Congratulations to all the players, coaches, and fans who traveled with the team to support them at their games. The Tigers had one of the biggest fan bases and are so grateful for all the support. This season was only the start of a fight with this young team. You can bet that they will be back, fighting harder than ever for that banner next year.