Immaculata claims first-ever provincial boys' soccer championship

Josh Misfeldt’s second goal of the game with less than a minute remaining lifted the Immaculata Mustangs to a 2-1 overtime win on Wednesday over the favoured West Point Grey Academy Wolves and to their first-ever provincial gold medal in B.C. School Sports senior A boys soccer.

Ranked No. 4 going into the 16-team tournament in Surrey, the Mustangs were victorious in all five provincial games.

Trailing 1-0 at the half in the championship match, Immaculata fought back and got the equalizer from Misfeldt in the second to send the game into extra time. With two minutes remaining, a West Point Grey player found himself wide open in front of the Mustangs' net with what looked to be a golden opportunity to score the deciding goal. However the linesman’s flag went up for an offside call.

With less than a minute left, the Mustangs were awarded a free kick from just inside the half. Nathan Holroyd lofted the ball into the box where a scramble ensued. Misfeldt found the loose ball and put it away for the BCSS pennant-winning marker.

The Mustangs, winners of the Okanagan Valley championship for a fourth time, earned a berth in the final by defeating the upstart Southpointe Academy Titans of Tsawwassen 5-0 in semifinal play.

Following a lackluster and scoreless first half, Immaculata broke loose for five unanswered goals in the second half. Lucas Hicklin, the tournament’s Golden Boot award recipient and most valuable player, scored three times for the winners, with Holroyd and Ben Prehofer contributing single tallies.

Immaculata opened the provincial event with three straight wins in pool play, defeating St. John’s of Vancouver 7-0, Selkirk 5-1 and Credo Christian of Langley 2-1 in a shootout.

In the win over Credo, the Fraser Valley team took the lead in the 47th minute, but the Mustangs responded quickly on a marker by Prehofer, set up by Nate Portz. The shootout saw Hicklin, Diego Jiminez and Holroyd covert their shots from the penalty spot while Nik Federko stopped all three Credo shots to secure the win and a berth in the tournament playoffs.

Immaculata head coach, Paul Freire, noted that during the closing ceremony the tournament co-ordinator commented on his team’s spirit and togetherness, and how whenever the Mustangs scored the players went to the bench and celebrated as a team.

“That speaks volumes about the closeness of this group,” said Freire. “And that’s what led us to the championship.”