It was a game that left the coach in tears.
Standing over six-feet tall, Jason Wilkinson was left weeping in his hands as he watched his AAA senior girls team win over the second best team in B.C.
It was only part way through the provincials, bringing the Surrey Grandview Grizzlies into the semi-finals, but it was an impressive victory.
Surrey beat Lake Country鈥檚 George Elliott Coyotes, the No. 2 seeded and provincial host, in the Grizzlies鈥� first game Friday at HS Grenda Middle School 3-1.
The best of five game bumped Surrey into the top eight and Lake Country down into the 9-16.
鈥淭hey did not quit, they fought hard,鈥� Wilkinson said of the aggressive Coyotes.
But the Grizzlies battled back in a nail-biting game, reducing Wilkinson to tears of joy and pride.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 even know what hit them,鈥� he told his team of Grade 11 and 12 girls, who barely made it to provincials following a snowstorm that wreaked havoc on the Lower Mainland.
鈥淲e are not supposed to be here, but we are.鈥�
The girls were supposed to drive up for the games, but the school district couldn鈥檛 let them with the condition of the roads.
But with Surrey鈥檚 Earl Marriott Mariners also making it to the provincials, that would have left a huge hole in the tournament, plus a lot of sad players. Pitt Meadows already couldn鈥檛 make it to the championships.
So the district rented a bus and the hometown rivals shared it up to the Okanagan.
Round robin play Thursday saw the two Surrey teams face off in a tight best of 3.
The Grizzlies took the win, their first of the day, celebrated with a late night A&W drive-thru.
The Surrey team would end up earning seventh in the finals Saturday.
Vernon鈥檚 own W.L. Seaton Sonics placed sixth.
The sonics advanced out of the round of 15 with a win over Vancouver鈥檚 Gladstone Gladiators, then lost in quarterfinals to the eventual provincial champion R.A. McMath Wildcats of Richmond, who defeated the West Vancouver Highlanders 3-2 in the best of five final.
Seaton defeated the Stelly鈥檚 Stingers of Victoria on the consolation side before falling to the Little Flower Academy Angels of Vancouver in the fifth-sixth place game.
After Lake Country鈥檚 loss to Surrey, George Elliott then fell to the LV Rogers Bombers of Nelson in their first consolation side game.
The Coyotes then defeated the Langley Saints and Gladstone to finish 13th.
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