The St. Timothy Thunder team has advanced to the semifinals in tier II field hockey playoffs, after defeating Lester B. Pearson, 3-0, last night, May 28.

Forward Mikenna Spademan got the hattrick for the Thunder.

The Thunder took a 1-0 lead into the second half then scored two assurance goals for the win. They now face Centennial Coyotes in semifinal action on May 31 for a chance to advance to the City Championship of the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association.

Assistant coach Crystal Saltesz says that first goal got the team fired up.

"That first goal definitely got us going for that second half. It's a hot day out, so we needed that one goal to start it off."

"Towards the end, we definitely set up the plays we needed to do to move the ball. In field hockey, it's how you play on the outside, so once we got that everything came together."

It's not uncommon for the Thunder to face Lester B. Pearson High School in playoffs and the two have matched up three times in recent years. Last year the Thunder beat them in the semifinals.

"That's a strong team," says  Saltesz. "They have a strong program."

The Thunder had three wins, one loss and two ties in the six-game regular season to finish third. The Centennial remain undefeated this season with only one tie and finished second. St. Mary's topped the regular season undefeated.

The Thunder continue to have a solid field hockey team with a balance of seniors, grade 11s and grade 10 rookies who continue to improve as the season progresses.

"We have a lot of rookies this year. We have a lot of grade 10s who have never picked up a stick before and they're awesome; they're fast learners. And then we have a solid group of grade 11s and 12s. It's a work in progress, but we've got it going and overall we have such a strong team that comes out every year."

"The veterans are really helping the rookies. They're teaching them how to hold their stick and where to be, so they're helping each other out and I think that's the reason why we've gotten this far this season."

For head coach Michael Arsenault, it's not only about developing female sports at the high school but about creating the opportunity for the players to pursue university scholarships.