But experience will be working to keep those brackets sturdy and holding firm.
Vancouver Island Wave has washed into the Vancouver Island Soccer League鈥檚 2017 Jackson Cup semifinals, led by young players headed to U Sports next season. Sam Fletcher and Josh Lamothe co-captained the Reynolds Roadrunners to the sa国际传媒 triple-A high school title this season with Fletcher headed to play for the UBC Thunderbirds and Lamothe to the UVic Vikes.
The past decade in the VISL, meanwhile, has been defined by the veteran-laden Cowichan FC with its four Jackson Cup titles in the past seven years and six championship game appearances in that span.
The 2017 semifinals have the V.I. Wave rolling into the Harbour City for a game against Nanaimo United on Saturday at 7 p.m. on the Merle Logan turf, while Cowichan FC heads down to Hampton Park for a Friday night lights encounter against Gorge FC at 7:15 p.m.
Patterned after the FA Cup, the Jackson Cup is contested by the Division 1-2 team in the VISL. The brackets are made by random draw. The 102nd Jackson Cup championship game is April 2 at Royal Athletic Park.
Cowichan FC鈥檚 regular-season record is a first-place 13-2 and it beat Prospect Lake of Div. 2 by a 6-0 clean sheet in the Jackson Cup quarter-finals and Comox Valley 2-1 in the opening round.
Gorge FC has a third-place regular-season record of 10-4-2. It advanced in the Jackson Cup with a 1-0 win against Campbell River on penalty kicks and 5-1 victory over Saanich Fusion.
Nanaimo United is in fourth place with an 8-3-5 record in the regular season and beat Lakehill 2-1 in the Jackson Cup quarter-finals in overtime and defeated Vic West Div. 2 by a 4-1 count in the opening round.
V.I. Wave sits sixth in the regular season at 8-9. It advanced through the Jackson Cup with 3-2 and 2-0 victories over Bays United and Cowichan United Div. 2, respectively.
All eyes again are trained on the favourites.
鈥淓very year we want to win the Jackson Cup,鈥� said Cowichan FC veteran defender Tyler Hughes. 鈥淭here is so much tradition and history behind it. We always love to be a part of it.鈥�
Cowichan FC, however, is wary about a semifinal date against a Gorge FC team looking for a return to glory. Along with its past Jackson Cup successes on the Island, Gorge FC won four sa国际传媒 Province Cup championships between 2001 and 2010. The latter is a prize that has so far eluded this Cowichan FC group, with several close-call eliminations the past few years along the provincial trail. That鈥檚 a quest they will continue this spring, as all four Jackson Cup semifinalists will advance to the Province Cup playdowns. Before that, Cowichan is concentrating on the Island cup named Jackson.
鈥淏eing at home at Hampton Park is a big advantage for Gorge in the semifinal and it looks to be a tremendous atmosphere there on Friday night,鈥� said Hughes, who is enshrined in the Coastal Carolina University Sports Hall of Fame after a standout NCAA Div. 1 playing career.
鈥淭heir turf is different than the one we are used to playing on at home. Gorge is a hard-working team and they beat us earlier this season,鈥� added the former USL and Swedish league pro.
鈥淏ut I believe we have more depth.鈥�
And more experience.
鈥淲e have played in big games at this stage before. We are used to this,鈥� said Hughes.
Meanwhile, the Terry Price Cup Lower Island women鈥檚 soccer semifinals are also this weekend with the Castaway Highlanders meeting Vic A鈥檚 under the lights Friday on Finlayson Turf at 8 p.m. and Nanaimo United hosting Prospect Lake on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Merle Logan. The final is March 26 at Tyndall Park.
