VANCOUVER — The defending B.C. champs felt their share of loss through graduation, but Surrey’s Fleetwood Park Dragons are showing just how quickly their chemistry and camaraderie has come together.
The Dragons created numerous scoring opportunities Friday in the championship final of UBC’s inaugural Kick-Off Classic at Thunderbird Stadium, in the end topping its crosstown rivals, the Panorama Ridge Thunder 1-0 on a penalty kick marker by Katrina Frankenberger.
“Panorama’s back line did a great job of defending us today,” admitted Fleetwood Park head coach Sunny Uppal. “We lost a lot of significant players from last year’s championship team, and we have had to do a to of work to get organized. But at the tournament, the girls played better and better with each game.”
Frankenberger was named her team’s game MVP in the championship final.
Another big boost to the Dragons?
Ashley Burgess, who did not play with her high school team the past two seasons while competing for the Whitecaps REX program, has joined the Dragons ranks, and the NCAA Div. 1-bound Rice Owls signee was outstanding throughout.
Fleetwood Park beat North Vancouver’s Sentinel Spartans in one of two Friday late-morning semifinals. In the other, the Thunder topped North Vancouver’s Argyle Pipers.
The Dragons have advanced to the B.C. championship final in each of the last three seasons and have won two titles over that span.
The 2017 provincial championships run May 30 to June 2 at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.
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