The Heritage Woods Kodiaks defeated Okanagan-Mission 1-0 Saturday to finish fifth at the BC boys AAA provincial high school soccer championships in Burnaby.
It’s the best result ever at the tournament for the Port Moody school.
The Kodiaks won its last three matches, including a 3-0 victory over Lake City and 2-1 over Elgin Park to reverse a difficult opening day of the competition. After a 1-1 draw with Panorama Ridge, Heritage Woods was drubbed 4-0 by the Kitsilano Blues.
Kodiaks coach Giordano Baldonero said it was important his charges regain their focus after the Kitsilano match.
“We just needed to focus on staying positive as there was still something to play for. “I think our whole team stepped up.”
Baldonero said the format the high school championship tournament, in which teams play three matches in the first 36 hours to determine their path into the championship rounds demands players put bad results behind them quickly.
“It’s both a physical and mental battle,” he said. “The players get tired, deal with injuries and it’s a lot on the players.”
The Argyle Pipers won the tournament, defeating the Burnaby North Vikings 1-0 in the final.
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