MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- Another winning season for the Central Cyclones boys soccer team will see the Moose Jaw crew once again advancing to the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association provincial championship.
The Cyclones booked their spot in provincials in Yorkton during the Oct. 26 weekend thanks to a second-place finish in the 4A boys regional championship this past weekend at Canada Games Fields, dropping a narrow 2-1 decision to Yorkton Sacred Heart in the title game.
The lead-up to the regional final went about as well as things can go for a soccer team, as Central took a 6-0 win over Regina Luther in their opener on Friday before rolling to a 7-1 decision over Regina Laval to book their spot in provincials. The top two teams from regionals both advanced to the SHSAA championship.
Sacred Heart -- the host team for provincials -- received a first-round bye but found themselves in a battle in their semifinal, edging Regina Huda 1-0. Regina Laval had booked their semifinal spot with a 13-0 win over Notre Dame, while Huda defeated Regina Johnson 5-1 in their first-round game.
Central has now advanced to provincials in six straight seasons, not including the COVID-cancelled 2020 campaign. They won the provincial title in 2022 and 2021.
Earlier in the week, the Cyclones wrapped up the Moose Jaw High Schools Athletic Association season in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 win over Sacred Heart in the championship final.
Central tied the game seconds before the final whistle of regulation and then scored late in the 10-minute overtime to secure the victory.
At the 5A boys regional tournament also at Canada Games Field, the Peacock Tornadoes came a single win away from advancing to provincials but dropped a 7-3 decision to Swift Current in their semifinal. Peacock had opened the event with a comfortable 9-1 win over Estevan in their first-round contest.
Yorkton Regional defeated Weyburn 6-0 in the other semifinal, and Yorkton would go on to defeat Swift Current 3-2 to earn the top provincial berth out of regionals.
Both the Raiders and Colts advance to 5A boys provincials during the Oct. 6 weekend in Saskatoon.
Be sure to keep an eye on www.shsaa.ca for provincial draws as they become available.
