The rain poured and then some on Tuesday as the Lambrick Park Lions edged Saanich rivals Claremont Spartans 3-2 in the semifinals of the high school boys city playoffs at UVic.
Double-A Lambrick returns to the Colonist Cup as the defending champions, this time facing single-A St. Andrew’s Sabres at UVic on Nov. 14.
Talented Grade 12 player Everett Fisher stood out on Tuesday, assisting on Lambrick’s first two goals by Felipe Duchene and Spencer Scotney. Fisher then scored a header off a free kick.
“I thought the guys did an amazing job to handle the (wet) conditions,” said Lambrick Park coach Heather Weir.
“The ball was traveling much faster. Skipping along the wet turf, it really motors.”
Claremont scored first in the game, but Lambrick tied it and went up 2-1, and then 3-1.
“(Claremont) put a lot of pressure on us the last 14 minutes. They made it 3-2. But our defence came up big. Goalie Matt Turner made some fantastic saves, diving to put one past the post, and was solid the whole game,” Weir said.
The Lions head to the AA Islands Tuesday and Wednesday in Nanaimo.
Call it the wrath of the small schools, or parity amongst the talent of all the teams, but for the second straight year the city final will feature an A and AA team. Last year AA Lambrick knocked the A Glenlyon Gryphons from it’s Colonist throne.
Lambrick and St. Andrew’s haven’t met since a regular season game in 2011.
sports@vicnews.com