The Howe Sound Secondary Sounders senior boys' soccer team has pushed its way through playoffs in hopes of qualifying for the provincial championships.
The Sounders won their second playoff game 2-0 against Burnaby Wednesday (Nov. 3) to clinch the spot.
The Sounders decisively beat Carson Graham Secondary in the last league game of the season on Oct. 27.
"It was a must-win situation for us to have a shot at the playoffs," said Pepsi Takhar, the team's head coach.
The final score was 5-0 for the Sounders. Jeremy Galley scored two goals, with Kabir Takhar, Pirimin McPhee and Bastian Becker each scoring one goal.
On Oct. 29, the Sounders played their first playoff game against Sutherland Secondary.
"They were the ones who knocked us out of the playoffs last year," Takhar said.
Last year, Sutherland pushed the Sounders out with a 5-4 victory.
Howe Sound came out on top with a goal from McPhee, who back-heeled the ball into the net past Sutherland's goalkeeper in the last 10 minutes of the game.
"Overall, the team played the best game of the season," Takhar said.
"It was a sweet revenge. It was very intense. They had beaten us three times before."
The Sounders clinched the second spot in the North Shore league behind Seycove Secondary, the first-place team, who HSSS has beaten in regular season play.
"We've beaten the first-place team in regular play," Takhar said.
The team has had its disappointments.
"At times it looks promising, but there's been a few letdowns," Takhar said. "Hopefully, the team can carry this momentum through the playoffs and into the provincials.
"We've got a pretty good track record of two championships."
The double A team won provincial championships in 1999 and 2000, and has finished third provincially in the seven years Takhar has been coaching the team. The team also won a North Shore League high school title in 2001.
It has been two years since the Sounders went to the provincial championships.
