16U Stingers Golden
Stratford 16U Stingers Black captured the provincial gold medal in the Ontario Championships, Division 1, Tier 2 tournament at RIM Park in Waterloo on the weekend.
The Stratford girls defeated the Barrie Elites by a score of 25-22, 25-23 after going undefeated in playoffs Sunday.
Keilan Pottle-Kelly played very well in her libero position making some diving saves to win the final match.
Stratford started off the tournament ranked sixth in Tier 1 in the province but struggled throughout pool play against teams they normally would defeat. With a 1-2 record in pool play, the Stingers still kept their Division 1 status but were moved to Tier 2.
Stepping into uncharted territory, Stratford continued to be challenged in power pools but had some shining moments with Sarah Francis dominating the net offensively and Emily Hawkins passing to perfection.
Playoffs on Sunday saw a re-energized Stingers squad defeat Aurora Storm in the crossover match 25-15, 25-20. Marissa Thompson and Maille Devlin were strong defensively while Kiera Didiomete and Katie McLay steadily contributed to the offence.
In the quarter-finals the Stingers swept Oakville Thunder, then in the semifinals they defeated a young Georgetown Impact team 25-20, 16-20, 15-11.
Kelsea Liotta ran a strategic offense throughout the weekend including numerous successful quick attacks to Meaghan Pike.
Get the full story and more medal updates Stratford Beacon Herald
