The Vancouver Island Soccer League鈥檚 Div. 1 kicked off a regular season of great change with Lakehill FC and McGavin Cup preseason champion Gorge FC meeting at Hampton Park and Vancouver Island Wave and Bays United Liquour Plus playing at Oak Bay High School in late-finishing games.
The 122nd VISL opening weekend continues today with hopeful newcomer Westcastle United from the West Shore away to annual powerhouse Cowichan FC at 4 p.m. at Sherman Road in Duncan, and Comox Valley United travelling down to meet defending Jackson Cup champion Nanaimo United at 7 p.m. at Merle Logan turf field.
The Sunday matin茅e has Vic West going against Vantreights at 2 p.m at Finlayson in a battle of former dynasties looking to recapture past glories.
The latter game will be closely watched, not only because of Vantreights return to the top tier of Island soccer, but because many are predicting a breakout season for a rising Vic West team that has shown intriguing signs the past few seasons.
The Wests, whose legacy includes six Province Cup titles between 1976 and 1984, are well mentored by head coach Stefan Fletcher and assistant coach Frank Woods and feature former pro Sho Goto from Japan, who is coming off a standout summer season in the United Soccer League Premier Development League with the Victoria Highlanders.
鈥淚 have a gut instinct Vic West will do something special this season,鈥� said VISL president Vince Greco.
There will be a number of teams looking to bring Cowichan FC back to the pack this season. Nanaimo United denied Cowichan last season and has to be confident it can do it again. Top-seed Cowichan made its seventh Jackson Cup championship game appearance in the past eight years last spring, and was after its fifth Cup title in that span, but was denied by the upstart fourth seeds as Nanaimo United won its first Jackson Cup since 1999.
Gorge FC, meanwhile, showed early promise this month with its McGavin Cup title, which annually goes to the winner of the VISL preseason tournament. Former University of Victoria Vikes player Dominic Colantonio, among the preseason candidates for league MVP, adds to a solid core at Gorge as they also look to a return to the halcyon days in which the club won four Province Cup titles between 2001 and 2010.
The V.I. Wave are looking to do just that and make waves with a youthful contingent of players such as Mathias Earthy-Find, with former pro Blair Sturrock providing veteran stability, and Dave Ravenhill astute coaching.
鈥淭here have been a lot changes over the off-season and many bodies have moved to new teams. It will be an interesting year because of that,鈥� said Greco.
He cited Lakehill as an example, after it picked up several players from the Cowichan United team, which won the VISL Div. 2 championship last season.
The all-star game is Jan. 6 at Hampton Park, 103rd Jackson Cup final goes March 24 at Royal Athletic Park, Province Cup draw April 3 and Province Cup final May 12 on the Lower Mainland.
