Photo Credit/Cover Design: Lorne White/KelownaNow
The Mt. Boucherie Bears appear to be the odds-on favourites to represent the Okanagan at the B.C. School Sports senior AAA boys soccer championship tournament later this month.
But by only narrow margin.
Photo Gallery (87 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowAttila Kneider of the Mt. Boucherie Bears comes up with the ball after a battle with OKM's Camden Elkin in their recent meeting at Const. Neil Bruce Sports Fields.
First-place finishers in the regular season with a 4-1-1 record and a plus-10 goal differential, the Bears will meet the winless Kelowna Owls (0-4-2) in one Valley semifinal on Monday at Const. Neil Bruce Sports Fields. The other semi sees the second-place Rutland Voodoos (1-0-5) — the defending champions — playing host to third-place Okanagan Mission Huskies (2-2-2) at Rutland Secondary.
Both games are scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowBoucherie's Josh Clancy tries to squeeze between the Huskies' Brandon Nemes, left, and Ethan Ramchuk.
The winners will advance to the Valley championship match on Wednesday at the home of the surviving team with the best record in the regular season.
Both semifinals are repeats of the final regular-season games played on Wednesday in which Mt. Boucherie defeated KSS 3-0 while RSS and OKM finished in a 2-2 draw.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowAndrew Mihas of the Bears watches as the ball rolls into the goal past OKM goalkeeper Brett Martin.
Logan Teves headed in the winning goal for Boucherie against the Owls in the first half while Konstan Pfeiffel and Justin Matte rounded out the scoring for the Bears.
At OKM, the Huskies got goals from Camden Elkin and Aaron Brears while Rutland scorers were Zack MacInnes and Kaden Peters in what resulted in the second straight 2-2 finish between the two teams this season.
The Okanagan Valley champion will represent the zone at the B.C. School Sports provincial tournament in Burnaby Nov. 21-23.
Photo Gallery (87 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowNemanja Vracarevfic of the Mt. Boucherie Bears wraps his leg around Aaron Brears of OKM in an attempt to gain control.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowOKM's Tobin Woodworth trips over the Bears' Jakob Love as he slides to the ball on defence.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowKonstantin Pfeiffel, left, of the Huskies and Ethan Ramchuk of the Bears battle for possession.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowWaiting to make a play on a lofted ball: Brandon Nemes of OKM, left, and Attila Kneider of the Bears.
