In the summer of 鈥�16, even through they are not headed to the post-season, the Victoria Highlanders (3-5-5) are at least trying to provide a good atmosphere for their remaining home dates of the United Soccer League PDL season.
There was a lively turnout of several hundred fans 鈥� including the witty chanting and bagpipe blaring of the Highlanders鈥� Lake Side Buoys supporters section 鈥� as Victoria and Lane United played to a 2-2 draw on Victoria鈥檚 penultimate game of the campaign.
Lane (3-4-6) hails from a pretty good little sports town itself 鈥� famous for Oregon Ducks Pac-12 football and a running community that over the weekend concluded hosting the U.S. Olympic track and field trials for Rio 2016 at historic Hayward Field.
Lane United has expressed an interest in moving up to USL pro soccer in the years ahead, and it brought along its own boisterous and drumming travelling supporters section to the Island. They got the first big moment to cheer when Vicente Mora of Lane opened scoring at 31 minutes.
It was the Highlanders boosters who had the most to cheer about near the end of the half as Chris Rushworth levelled at 36 minutes before the quicksilver Ryan Dhillon outran the Lane defence to take a through ball and slot it at 39 minutes to make it 2-1 for the hosts.
鈥淚t was our best game of the year in front of our best crowd of the year,鈥� said Highlanders coach Dave Dew.
A header by Casey Chubbfertal tied it 2-2 for a Lane United team featuring mostly NCAA Div. 1 players.
鈥淭he calibre of the sides was equal and it was a fair result,鈥� said Dhillon. 鈥淲e got maybe a bit physically and mentally tired near the end and allowed them to tie it.鈥�
Brandon Watson played the first half in goal for Victoria and Nolan Wirth from the Comox Valley, who plays in the Pac-12 for the Oregon State Beavers, played the second half.
Victoria closes out the season at home on Sunday afternoon against Portland Timbers U-23.
