Hamber’s First Provincial Win of the Year Captured by Senior Ultimate Team

Photo Credit: Brooke Nichol

On May 6, Eric Hamber’s Senior Ultimate Team defeated Burnaby North 15–5, capturing first place at the BC School Sports Provincial Championships. The win came after a season of perseverance, hard work, and focus from the team, who surmounted countless challenges to get the banner.

Logan Poon (12), a returning player on the senior team, shared that they had a particularly difficult provincial quarterfinal match. “We had a really tough game the first game of day two, where we ended up going down three points at the very beginning, but we were able to push through and come back and win.”

AJ Liu (11) shared how the people watching the game were instrumental in that difficult match to help secure the win. “Our quarterfinals were really tough because we were down the entire game, and the sideline really stepped it up, pumping up the people who were playing, and I think it made a real impact.”

Krista Shum (11), who managed the team and took photographs, shared that throughout the tournament, the team persisted by staying focused on their goals and keeping their energy high. “It was definitely a very competitive environment, so everyone was quite focused throughout,” said Shum.

Upon obtaining the provincial first-place banner, Liu and Poon shared that the team atmosphere was very positive. “It was really rewarding, especially, as I said, at the quarterfinals, we were a little worried that we would have to be playing for fifth,” said Liu. “Getting the banner at provincials revalidated the fact that we are the best team in the province, and it felt good.”

Meanwhile, Poon acknowledged that they “had a great coach.” According to Liu, their coach, Matthew Berezan, placed a new emphasis on mindfulness and mental health, encouraging kindness and helping cement a positive team dynamic throughout the season.