Revised:Senior girls win Regional soccer banner

Playing Saturday in Shelburne, the Mariners first defeated the host team 5-0, but then had to overcome a rested New Germany in a game that needed overtime—and a major effort from forward Alyssa Oliver—to decide.

The Region win propelled Digby into the Division 3 provincial championships, which it will host Nov. 6-7. “The Regionals weren’t quite as easy as they have been the past two years,” said Mariners coach Harold Alexander. He paused and added, “Well, the first game was.”

Alexander said the Mariners were on their game early against Shelburne and led 4-0 at the half. “They got three goals in the first 10 to 15 minutes. The girls were moving the ball so well.”

The game with Shelburne started at 10 a.m. when the weather wasn’t a tremendous factor.

The field, which was granite under the sod, was a lot drier than the home field at DRHS, and had just the one wet hole in the middle. “It was colder here when we left,” he said.

The weather deteriorated as the day went on and the second game against New Germany was played in a cold, windy drizzle. The conditions worsened as the game went on, which worried Alexander since New Germany had scored late in the first half and Digby was left looking to tie the game.

Alexander criticized the three-game format that saw a rested New Germany squad playing Digby soon after its game Shelburne. “But the girls got their second wind in the second half,” he said.

Digby forward Alyssa Oliver—a grade 12 student playing in her final high school season—tied the game with a fairly long shot into the top of the net, and then in overtime scored the winning goal. “She ran around the defenders and then around the keeper to score,” Alexander said.

Oliver also scored twice in the Shelburne game, with Sam Adam adding two, and Rebecca Alexander one. “We defended very well yesterday. Katie (Porter) had a good game in goal and split with Adam in the first game,” said the coach.

Digby last hosted the Division 3 provincial championships in 2007.