October Sports Update

 

The U18 Prep girls’ ice hockey team three-peated as Kingstone Invitational Tournament champions. The final was a rematch against the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers, who edged Shawnigan 2-1 in a shootout in the tournament opener, but the hosts were able to turn the tables in the second meeting, prevailing 3-2. Thank you to Notre Dame, the Vancouver Island Seals, and Sno-King from Kirkland, Washington, for rounding out the field.

 

In CSSHL play, the girls are off to a strong start, with four wins, two regulation losses, and two overtime losses so far.

 

The boys’ teams have also been busy in the early going of the season. The U17 Prep boys have been especially strong, posting nine wins, two regulation losses, and one overtime defeat. With several big wins already under their belt, the group is emerging as an early contender among the top teams in the division.

 

“Leadership has been a key part of the team’s success, with Bryce T. (10 goals and 10 assists in 12 games) setting a strong example, while the Grade 10 players have made valuable contributions and demonstrated the depth of young talent within the program,” Director of Hockey Mr. Kevin Cooper said. “It has been exciting to see this group come together, build momentum, and compete at a high level so early in the season.

 

“With so much hockey still ahead, we look forward to seeing how far this group can go as the season progresses. The combination of strong leadership, developing talent, and team commitment makes this an exciting time for Shawnigan hockey, and we are looking forward to what lies ahead for all four competitive teams.”

 

 

It has been a busy fall for our rowers, including the annual Head of Shawnigan Regatta on October 18. We welcomed 60 entries from across B.C. for a fantastic showcase of regional talent, and gave developing crews invaluable experience on the 3000m and 7000m courses.

 

That same weekend, our U17 girls’ coxed four finished 13th in a 35-team field at the Head of the Charles in Boston, one of the largest regattas in the world. Congratulations also go to rowing coach, House Director, and teacher Mrs. Julie Platt, whose grand masters eight finished first out of 31 teams at the Head of the Charles.

 

Other races this fall have included the Head of the Nicomekl in Surrey in September, and the Head up the Creek in Vancouver last weekend. This weekend, several crews are heading to Seattle for the Head of the Lake, which will also feature alumni rowing for UBC.

 

 

This term has officially set a new standard for our soccer program in recent years. The junior boys went undefeated all term, and narrowly missed out on a berth at the Island championships based on goal differential. The senior boys came through in the clutch with an unforgettable finish to their regular season, scoring twice in the last minute of extra time to secure a spot at North Islands. Congratulations to both teams on an outstanding season!

 

 

The senior girls’ volleyball team has been competing in tournaments against strong competition, mostly AAA schools. With several multisport athletes on the roster, the team is hoping to solidify its line up and get more consistent results moving forward. Shawnigan competed in the ISA championships last weekend, and is preparing for the North Island and Island championships later in November at John Barsby Secondary in Nanaimo.

 

 

The squash program jumped right into a busy season as soon as school began in September. It kicked off with a provincial silver event at Shawnigan on September 19. Sixteen students participated, with Ripley’s housemates Sam L. and Beckett W. reaching the final, where Sam prevailed in a five-game battle that lasted more than an hour. The next weekend, the team travelled to Vancouver for the BC Junior Open, the first National Junior Circuit event of the year, where Sam and Beckett continued their strong form from the previous weekend. Most recently, Shawnigan sent a contingent to the Vancouver Island Open adult event in Victoria. Sam won the men’s 4.5 event, beating the top three seeds on his way to the title. The busy season will continue with upcoming tournaments in Edmonton and Victoria.

 

 

The adventure sports sea kayak group has been hard at work completing the Paddle Canada level 2 sea kayak curriculum. This award is given for the completion of skills such as peer rescue, self-rescue, navigation, weather interpretation and route planning in level 2 conditions.

 

On October 16-18, the group completed a new expedition in Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Returning to familiar Portland Island to start the trip, they spent the first night at Princess Bay, and after a quick hike Saturday morning, started a 21-kilometre travel day to D’Arcy island, with many open water crossings.

 

“The students navigated and had to make decisions about timing crossings to avoid hazards such as BC Ferries in the busy Shute Passage and Haro Strait,” said instructor Mr. Devin Ryan.

 

“The growth and learning of the group over three days was visible as they began to demonstrate better decision making in challenging conditions such as wind and current moving in opposing directions. They worked as a team in larger crossings, ensuring no one was left behind and finding places to take breaks along the way.”

 

 

Both our boys’ and girls’ fall club basketball teams started play in the SVIBA Run & Gun Club League with wins in their first games.