A young athlete from Powell River has been named the highest scoring female soccer player at a recent international aboriginal tournament.
North America Indigenous Games (NAIG) ran from Sunday, July 20 to 27, in Regina, Saskatchewan. The games included about 6,000 athletes on teams from both Canada and the United States and have been staged intermittently since 1990. The games include a variety of events like archery, baseball, canoeing, soccer and volleyball.
Sixteen-year-old striker Brittany Harry helped her under-18 team bring home bronze as British Columbia blanked Wisconsin 3-0, Saturday, July 26. BC entered the second half scoreless until Harry put a goal on the scoreboard. The action continued and BC kept the pressure up with two more goals for Harry, making 12 goals in four games and crowning her the highest scoring female soccer athlete at the games.
In BC’s first game against Manitoba on Monday Harry scored seven of her team’s eight-goal win.
In the second game against Wisconsin, played on Wednesday, she added one of four goals BC scored to win the game 4-1.
Craig George, BC’s head coach commented that Harry played “phenomenally well.” Her goal in the 72nd minute against Wisconsin stands out for her coach.
“It was this direct shot from about 40 to 42 yards out,” said George. “It was like a laser beam—straight in.”
BC took a 3-2 loss against Saskatchewan on Saturday. “It was a tough loss for all the girls,” said George. Harry’s goal in the 60th minute, a shot from about 20 yards out, tied the game and took it into overtime. BC was down a player in overtime after receiving two yellow cards for unsporting behaviour. Saskatchewan was able to score two goals, to take the game and block BC from silver or gold medal rounds.
BC’s athletes returned home having won 160 medals, the highest number of medals in the games. They won 63 golds, second in total count to Saskatchewan which won 72. Team BC is the first team in the history of the games to win both the Overall Team Title, a first for the team, and the John Fletcher Spirit Award, which is presented to the contingent best demonstrating the spirit of teamwork, fair play, respect and integrity throughout the week.
