Burnaby NOW • Saturday, October 30, 2010 • A29
30 Canadians nipped 2-1 31 Gymnast of the year
32 Volley Rebels in second
SECTION COORDINATOR Tom Berridge, 604-444-3022 • tberridge@burnabynow.com
Central in H.S. soccer driver’s seat Tom Berridge
sports editor
A pair of goals by Josh Hardy helped clinch first place in the district high school senior boys’ soccer league for the Burnaby Central Wildcats Wednesday. Hardy knocked in his own rebound in the opening half and then iced the match with a secondchance effort off a corner late in the game as Central blanked the Cariboo Hill Chargers 3-0 at Cariboo Oval. Amar Omerovic opened the scoring for the Wildcats with the gamewinner in the 20th minute, knocking home a centering pass from winger Anthony Cristante. Cristante assisted on all three goals for Central. The win improved Central’s season record to 7-0-1, while Cariboo settled for the runner-up spot at 6-1-1. “It was actually our best game,” said Central cocaptain Ivan Mrdjen after the match. “We’re really good. We’ll see how good we are, but first we have to qualify (for the provincials), that’s what we’re focused on.” The Wildcats controlled play in the first half of the contest with excellent defending and one-touch passing. Charger goalkeeper Riley Wray had to be sharp to keep the scoreline close. Wray stopped numerous chances at goal, including fine saves off Lucas Sweda, Cristante and Omerovic later in the game. Cariboo didn’t fold however. Trailing 2-0 mid-
Larry Wright/burnaby now
Fighting back: Cariboo Hill forward Denis Ananga makes a move on a Burnaby Central defender in high school boys’ soccer action at Cariboo Oval Wednesday. Central won the match 3-0. way through the second half, Denis Ananga had his team’s best chance go wide of the post when Ryan Parmar intervened. Moments later, David Genet put another ball wide of the mark. “That’s just the way it is,” said first-year Cariboo coach Joe Resendes, a former goalie with the Canadian cerebral palsy
national soccer team in 2005. “One thing I try to teach these guys is regardless of what your problem is, you have to keep working. The kids are really buying in. Winning is a big thing. You win five (games) in a row and everyone enjoys it. It’s nice to see.” District playoffs get underway Monday after
school at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex-West. Cariboo will then take on the highest seeded winner at Cariboo Oval, while Central will face the lower seed at BLSC-W on Wednesday. The two winners will meet in the championship banner match on Friday, Nov. 5 at Burnaby LakeWest.
Getting to the provincials is Central’s goal, said Mrdjen, who has three previous appearances at the B.C.s with Central, including as a Grade 8 bantam. “We play great as a team. We move the ball well, work the defence. We have speed in the midfield. We just need a little bit more finish,” Mrdjen added.
BurWest swimmers qualify for provincials Tom Berridge
sports editor
Burnaby/New Westminster district swimmers won a total of 14 gold medals at the B.C. School Sports zone swim championships at UBC Aquatic Centre last weekend. Cariboo Hill junior Stefan Milosevic topped the podium with three gold in the open boys’ 100-metre backstroke and butterfly and 200m individual medley. Milan Milosevic won the B boys’ 50 and 100m freestyle, while also placing third in the 50m fly for Cariboo. Burnaby Mountain garnered
five total medals, including two gold in the open girls’ 100m backstroke and fly by Alexandria Schofield. The senior Mountain swimmer also placed second in the 100m free. Cristian Cristurean earned a silver in the open boys’ free, while David Pinsky took bronze in the open breast. St. Thomas More went home with four individual medals. Maryann Slama won the B girls’ 50m back and fly. STM teammate Howard Chen picked up a gold and silver in the B boys’ back and free, respectively. Alpha Aztec’s Kelly Pickthall
was a triple medallist, taking gold in both the B girls’ 100m free and IM. The Grade 9 Aztec also placed runner-up in the 50m free. New Westminster garnered a total of eight medals as a team. Matt Hua won gold in the open 100m breast, while Kieren Wou and Daniel Gomez both earned a silver and bronze in open swims. Igor Gasovic-Varga had a pair of bronze in open fly and IM. Katrina Heinonen was third in the breast. Burnaby North also won eight medals from seven individual swimmers. Vincent Chung won the B boys’ 50m fly. Jun Jay Liu was second in the B boys’ 100 free and third in
the free sprint. Bryan Cheung, Alison Tso, Alex Chieng, Carlin Leung and Kenneth Ng all won bronze medals for the North team. Noemi Soros won silver medal in the B girls’ back for Burnaby South. In C event swims, Margarita Orlova of Burnaby South and Kyle Sung of STM both won a pair of races. Kelly Go and Ian Poon of South, Taisho Ho, Seby Chen of New West, and STM’s Amber Chang and Maya Onokwulu The B.C. School Sports swimming championships will be held Nov. 19 and 20 in Nanaimo.
Burnaby pair top selects
Christine Sinclair of Burnaby made FIFA’s shortlist for the world women’s soccer player of the year for a fifth time. Sinclair surpassed the century mark in international play, scoring her 100th goal for the Canadian senior women’s national team in February of this year. Sinclair, who plays professionally for the regular season champion FC Gold Pride in the Women’s Professional Soccer league, scored two goals in the team’s 4-0 championship final win over the Philadelphia Independence. The Burnaby footballer tallied the eventual gamewinner with an unassisted strike in the 16th minute against Philadelphia. The five-time Canadian player of the year is up against Gold Pride teammate Marta from Brazil for the award. The Brazilian star has been named world women’s player of the year for the past four years. Marta was named the pro league MVP this season while winning the Goldon Boot with 19 goals.
Up for challenge
Burnaby defenceman Joey LaLeggia was one of eight B.C. Hockey League players selected to play for Canada West at the upcoming World Junior A Challenge in Penticton next month. The sophomore blueliner with the Penticton Vees is one of seven players chosen from last year’s junior A challenge team that finished second to the United States for a second straight year. Canada West won the first two challenge tournaments in 2006 and 2007. LaLeggia currently leads the Vees in overall scoring with 26 points, 10 more than the next best skater, including a team-best eight goals. He is 12th in overall BCHL scoring. LaLeggia is committed to play on a hockey scholarship at the University of Denver next season. Canada West will play in Group B with Russia and Switzerland. The junior A challenge will take place Nov. 8 to 14.