Great atmosphere. Not so great result 鈥� at least not for the home side.
There are few regular-season fixtures in any sport that offer the kinetic energy in the stands of the annual University of Victoria men鈥檚 soccer ThunderFest game.
There was even the almost mandatory-at-sporting-events retro-1970s streaker racing across the field in the waning minutes.
But this year, perhaps thankfully, the so-1990s cowbells replaced the so-2010 vuvuzelas from previous ThunderFest games as more than 3,300 fans turned out to watch the University of Northern sa国际传媒 Timberwolves blank the Vikes 2-0 in sa国际传媒 West conference action.
鈥淵ou could hear the chanting even in the dressing room before we came on to the pitch,鈥� said the attacking-midfielder Isaac Koch, who had the best chances for the Vikes on the night.
Many in the throng were young UVic residence students.
鈥淚t gives you a huge boost of energy. So it's disappointing to lose in a game like this,鈥� said Koch.
The winless Vikes spiraled to 0-4-1. The undefeated Timberwolves moved to two wins and three ties.
The Vikes pressed early, including a shot off the crossbar by Koch, and were unlucky not to take a lead into the half-time break.
鈥淚t was frustating because we created enough chances to win the game,鈥� said the swift-footed third-year P.E. major from West Kelowna. 鈥淲e outshot them 16-14, but the only thing that counts in this sport is putting the ball in the back of the net. We have lost all our games like this.鈥�
Those thoughts were echoed by Vikes coach Bruce Wilson, whose 30th anniversary season on the UVic bench is not turning into one to remember.
鈥淚t was a disappointing result because we played well in the first half and were unfortunate not to be ahead at the break. 鈥� [in] what was a tremendous atmosphere to play in for any player,鈥� said Wilson.
Instead, it was goals by UNBC at 34 minutes off a corner kick by Stuart Rowlands and Tofa Fakunle from the spot at 67 minutes that did the trick for the Timberwolves to dampen much of the crowd鈥檚 enthusiasm.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 get down,鈥� said Wilson, 鈥渆specially since this was the start of four consecutive home games we have this weekend and next weekend.鈥�
The homestand continues when the Vikes and T-Wolves meet again tonight at 7:15 at Centennial Stadium.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to be like [Friday鈥檚] atmosphere, but we still need the win [tonight],鈥� said Koch.
Meanwhile, the U Sports nationally ninth-ranked UVic Vikes women鈥檚 soccer team got a late goal from veteran Stephanie Badilla-Gutierrez, a fifth-year student out of Oak Bay, to tie the Fraser Valley Cascades 2-2 Friday evening in Abbotsford. Midfielder Caitlin Millham, a fourth-year student from North Vancouver, scored UVic鈥檚 other goal.
The Vikes take their 1-0-1 record into Langley today to face the U Sports No. 3-ranked Trinity Western Spartans.
