The under-18 Timberwolves will take it one game at a time this week in Burnaby.
The Prince George Youth Soccer Association's girls' side is competing at the four-team Provincial A Cup championship along with Delta, Port Moody and Upper (Vancouver) Island.
The round-robin tournament begins Wednesday when the Twolves kick off against Upper Island and concludes Sunday when the top-two teams play for gold, while the remaining two sides play for bronze.
"We have the potential to win if we play our best," said co-captain and midfielder Julia Babicz. "We know we can do it."
Prince George played their best matches of the season June 21-22 when they knocked off heavy-favourite Penticton in a two-game series in the Provincial A Cup qualifier at Rotary Field.
They shut out the Okanagan squad 3-0 in Game 1 and drew a 1-1 tie in Game 2. Based on the three-goal differential, Prince George earned the right to compete at provincials.
Going in to the qualifer, Penticton was undefeated.
"It feels a lot better knowing we had to beat a tough team to get there [provincials]," said co-captain and midfielder Maddy Emmond, who scored a goal against Penticton. "If we had played a lesser team, it would have been less exciting. We just need to build on it and focus on what we did well and do it better [this week]."
Prior to their departure Tuesday, the team has spent the last week practising, working on drills to improve their speed and ensure they all get plenty of touches on the ball.
For success this week, the Timberwolves will rely on their speed, from their backline defence, through the midfield and up front to their strikers.
Goalkeeper Keely Finch will backstop them in the net and will use her aggressiveness to prevent the ball from crossing the goal line.
"She's really quick about making decisions and stopping the ball," said Emmonds. "We have some speed in our midfielders who work well together and our forwards can keep the ball or chip it up to feed the ball through."
Frank Rossi is the head coach of the team, but he relies on a staff that includes his twin daughters Corey and Carissa, as well as Amedee Cimana.
Carissa and Corey are graduates of the University of Central Arkansas where they played NCAA Div. 1 soccer, while Cimana is going into his sophomore year playing for the UNBC men's soccer team.
"They're three dimensional," said Frank Rossi. "Amedee looks after the strikers, Corey looks after the midfielders and Carissa looks after the defence and backfield. They cover all aspects of the field."
"With them coming from university, they give a younger perspective to the game," added Emmonds.
Emmonds, who turns 18 shortly, graduated from Kelly Road secondary this year. She's played on the U18 side since she was 16. This is her last kick at winning a youth Provincial A Cup championship, having played on Prince George's U13, U15 and U16 sides previously.
"I'm going to try and enjoy it as much as I can," she said. "Whether we win or lose, if we play well, that's what matters the most."
Babicz, who turns 17 during provincials, is going into her senior year at College Heights secondary. She'll have another year left of eligibility on the U18 team.
