It鈥檚 getting strait to the point in the Pacific Coast Soccer League. As in the Strait of Georgia, with Island teams tied atop the standings with 16 points each. The Mid Island Mariners (5-1-1), however, have two games in hand on the Victoria Highlanders (4-1-4).
鈥淚t certainly says we鈥檙e trying to take care of things on the Island,鈥� said Highlanders coach Dave Dew.
Victoria and Mid Isle continued their winning ways over the weekend, each with two shutout victories away from home.
鈥淭he story for [the Highlanders] is that we got our first two shutouts of the season back-to-back and on the road,鈥� added Dew, whose club won 1-0 Saturday in Kamloops and 2-0 Sunday in Abbotsford with both clean sheets from UVic Vikes goalkeeper Noah Pawlowski.
The Highlanders got goals Sunday from Alex Redpath, graduating captain of the UVic Vikes, and VISL Cowichan FC scoring star Paddy Nelson in a 2-0 victory in the Fraser Valley over Abbotsford Magnuson Ford (0-3-3). Parm Johal, on a corner kick, found Redpath for the winner at 44 minutes. Nelson added the insurance dagger at 88 minutes on an assist from NCAA-bound Brian Im of St. Michaels University School.
Abbotsford will host the four-team PCSL playoff tournament and is coached by Ian Knight, the former England U-21 player, whose pro career with Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby Town was shortened by a devastating multi-bone leg break in a 1987 FA Cup replay against Chester City.
Mid Isle, featuring players from the nationally successful Vancouver Island University Mariners program, blanked Abbotsford 2-0 Saturday and followed up with a 2-0 victory over the last-place Vancouver Tigers (0-2-5) on Sunday.
鈥淲e鈥檝e just carried on from our [Canadian silver medal] college season,鈥� said Mariners coach Chris Merriman.
鈥淚n the PCSL we鈥檙e up against CIS players and ex-pros, and you can鈥檛 take them them lightly, but we have a very confident and very good team. We鈥檝e come out and surprised some people.鈥�
Jordan de Graaf from Mid Isle, a VIU standout, and Justin Wallace of Kamloops, a former SFU and Thompson Rivers University striker, lead the PCSL in goals with five each.
