The next chapter in the McMath Wildcats and McNair Marlins senior boys soccer rivalry could be at the upcoming provincial "AAA" championships.
Both squads are headed to next week's 16-team tournament after securing B.C. berths with impressive runs in the Vancouver and District playoffs. They met in last week's championship game where the Wildcats pulled out a 1-0 victory.
The game's only goal came midway through the opening half on a well-executed short corner that saw Miguel Bustamante take a pass from Mitch Stokes and find the back of the net from 16-yards out.
The Marlins came close to equalizing in the second half as goalkeeper Jason Roberts was forced to make a great diving save to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Defensive stalward Jordan Gilles also cleared another opportunity off the goalline.
"We played a five man midfield in the second half by moving striker Colin Jacques to play a deeper role. It meant him being involved more and he really did have an outstanding game," said McMath coach Mike Quinn.
Quinn also praised the efforts of fullbacks Andrew Macaskill and Jonah Rose, along with Gilles. Kyran James was a force in the middle of the park. Strong performances were also turned in by Farid Armando, Alexander Escobar, Jeevie Rai, and Rylan Sangha.
"Overall it was a great team effort," Quinn added. "McNair is a very good team that could surprise a lot of teams at the provincials. There is not a lot between the two sides."
McMath will carry an unbeaten 10-0-2 record into the championships while the Marlins' (9-3) only three losses were to the Wildcats.
The tournament runs from Nov. 24-26 in Burnaby.
