The St. Thomas More Knights won a thrilling overtime matchup against Seycove, and its ninth straight appearance at the B.C. high school AA girls' soccer championships.
The Knights scored a 4-3 victory over the North Shore school in the second period of extra time on Katrina Abel's second goal of the game to win the North Shore/BurWest zone qualifier at Sutherland Turf on Monday.
Seycove took an early 2-0 lead, but STM struck back with two goals before the half to knot the score.
Samantha Drescher got the first on a well-taken, inswinging corner kick, while Abel tied the game 2-2 on a breakaway opportunity before halftime.
Daniella Falcone gave the Knights a 3-2 lead in the first five minutes of the second half, beating the Seycove goalie to a 50/50 ball and then cleverly chipping it over the keeper for a 3-2 lead. But the lead did not last.
Abel had an opportunity to score the game-winner in the first period of extra time, but saw her strike hit harmlessly off the crossbar.
In the second OT period, Drescher put Abel through on a partial break and the Knight striker made no mistake this time, ably making a nice strike into the corner of the goal to put the Burnaby independent school into the provincial tournament for a ninth straight time.
STM keeper Vanessa Campbell got the win in goal despite an injury and a bout of the flu.
"It will be interesting to see how this team does (at the provincials). We battle hard," said STM head coach Carlo Zavarise.
STM placed fourth at last year's provincials. The Knights last won the high school championships in 2008 in Richmond.
The provincial high school championships will be played in Kamloops from May 31 to June 2.
