The 2009 U15 Richmond Islanders softball team took home gold at the 2023 U15 Western Canadian Championships at Steveston-London field this past weekend.
It was a come-from-behind win as they weren’t even expected to make the playoffs, especially as a younger-aged team.
Round-robin games for the western championships started on Thursday morning at the south Richmond field.
Going into Saturday, the 2009 Islanders were sitting in 5th or 6th place with playoffs seemingly out of reach.
They had had two wins - against teams from Saskatchewan and Manitoba – two losses to Alberta teams and had two games left in round robin play.
They needed to win both of their next games, against the 2008 Richmond Islanders and Saskatchewan’s Battleford Bandits, to have a chance to advance.
They won both games Saturday morning leaving them tied for fourth place, forcing a tie-breaker game.
And with a 7-5 win in the tie-breaker, they clinched the fourth playoff spot.
The 2009 Islanders played their first playoff game - their fourth game of the day - defeating the Abbotsford Outlaws 7-2 and qualifying for Sunday’s semifinals.
In the semifinal game, both the offence and defence showed up to play leading to a 12-0 victory over the Alberta Lloydminster Liners, explained head coach Mark David.
The Islanders went on to defeat the Alberta Sherwood Park team 4-0 in the gold medal game.
As a younger team in the two-year age group, the 2009 Islanders didn’t even expect to qualify for the Western Canadian Championships this year, David explained.
“It all came together this weekend with every player contributing in their own way – pitching, catching, fielding and hitting,” he added. “These underdogs played with heart, determination and teamwork and came out on top with a gold medal.”
The 2009 Richmond Islanders team includes players Adelise Cyr, Adrianna Jeske, Lexi Howitt, Claire Hallam, Dani Kay, Emily Hsieh, Eva Raskob, Katie Nevins, Lexi Davies, Nava David, Parker Maude, Quinn Michaud, Sofia Sekhon, Mark David (head coach), Adam Cyr (assistant coach), Navi Sekhon (assistant coach), Brett Maude (assistant coach) and Jessica Porter (assistant coach).
