The coach of the Dr. Charles Best Blue Devils senior boys' soccer team is hoping a hard-fought 2-0 win Thursday, Oct. 26, over a feisty Port Moody Blues team will serve his charges well heading into the Fraser North district playoffs that begin next week.
Fahim Karmali said the pivotal match that concluded the regular season is a testimony to the level of soccer competition in the Coquitlam Secondary Schools Athletic Association (CSSAA).
"Heading into zones, we feel like our league has helped us significantly," he said. "They're tough games, but we continue to battle and find ways to win."
The Blue Devils got goals from Carter McLean and Zach Gabrys to finish the schedule with a record of five wins and two draws.
The team's 17 points is two fewer than the Centennial Centaurs, which finished atop the table with six wins and a single draw — against its rivals just down Como Lake Avenue.
The Centaurs closed out the regular season with a 3-0 win over the Pinetree Timberwolves.
Centennial's coach Kevin Comeau said the Centaurs have had to battle through some key injuries this season, but their resilience and grit put the team in a good position.
"Our boys are very determined, and have battled through some key injuries to keep our undefeated season alive," he said.
But, Comeau added, he's being careful not to allow the players to rest on the laurels of their regular season record.
"There are certain elements to our game that I think we can improve on for the Fraser North Playoffs, so now it is about talking with the team, relaying the important messages in the pre-game, and hoping that we can execute come game time."
The Blues, meanwhile, dropped to fourth place behind the Terry Fox Ravens, which defeated Heritage Woods 4-3 on Thursday.
Centennial plays its Fraser North quarter-final at its home field on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 3 p.m., against the winner of a play-in game this afternoon (Oct. 27) between Alpha Secondary from Burnaby and Garibaldi from Maple Ridge.
The Blue Devils host Burnaby Central, also on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Terry Fox meets Burnaby South, the second seed of the Burnaby/New West league, at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex on Tuesday while Port Moody will travel to Burnaby North.
