The Lady Mariners soccer team from Digby Regional High School is looking ahead to regional playoffs after eking out a 1-0 win over Clare on Oct. 3.

The Acadian Shore school has been dominant in this region in recent years, but was toppled last year by the Digby girls who have since inherited the powerhouse mantle. However, Clare seemed ready to hold back the Digby squad, playing a strong defensive game for 78 minutes before Alyssa Oliver scored with just 12 minutes remaining.

“When you need a goal you can count on Alyssa,” coach Harold Alexander said after the game.

“The girls missed a lot of chances. We’ve got to give the (Clare) goalkeeper credit. She made a lot of saves and cut off a lot of crosses that were too close to the goal line.”

Alexander said Digby dominated play, but had trouble finishing off scoring chances. “If we had scored a goal or two early, it might have taken the oomph out of Clare. But give them credit, they defended well. It was probably our toughest game to date.”

Digby’s team members moved the ball well and showed marked improvement in ball passing, said the coach, and he noted the girls were communicating well on field. Digby keeper Rebekah Cook also was tested several times when Clare eluded defenders

The Digby squad had 23 players on the bench, many of them new this year, and also some exchange students without a lot of soccer experience, Alexander said, but all had an opportunity to gain game experience. He kept his stronger players in the game late when Digby was pressing hardest to get on the scoreboard.

The win puts Digby in a good position, said Alexander. “If we beat or tie Clare next week, we get a pass to the regionals, and if we win there we get a pass to the provincials. I’m assuming that we win against Drumlin Heights and St. Mary’s Bay.

“If we can win the regionals without going through qualifying, we’ll host provincials, which would be nice,” said Alexander.

The Lady Mariners were scheduled to play Drumlin Heights at home Oct. 5, and the important game against Clare on Tuesday, Oct. 9, in Clare. The match against St. Mary’s Bay Academy on Oct. 10 ends the team’s round-robin schedule.

The Digby coach said his team might play an exhibition game against Yarmouth High School before the regional championships Oct. 20. The regionals will be hosted either by Annapolis West Education Centre, Bridgetown or Kings-Edgehill, depending on finishing position, said Alexander.