Week 1 Offensive Punch

The men’s PACWEST soccer season opened this past weekend with several exciting games.

What a difference a day makes

SATURDAY – Langara Falcons 5 – Capilano Blues 0

The defending PACWEST champion Falcons gave their home fans something to cheer about often as they blasted the Blues on Saturday afternoon.   They opened the scoring with the lone first half goal in the 23^rd minute when Maslah Farah tallied the marker that would hold up to be the game winner.

In the 51^st minute the champs added to their lead on Farah’s second of the contest.  Just three minutes later David Rodriguez scored the third goal of the game.

They would continue to pour it on getting a goal from Yujin Manome in the 86^th minute and they weren’t done.  Three minutes later Farah recorded the hat-trick with a pretty goal tapping it to himself and past a pair of defenders to get an open shot and made no mistake.

Falcons’ keeper Ziyan Clark-Ismail wasn’t tested much but came up big when needed and recorded the clean sheet.

SUNDAY – Capilano Blues 3 – Langara Falcons 2

After not scoring on Saturday, the Blues used some home-cooking on Sunday afternoon to split the weekend with the Falcons.

For trivia fans, Zach Gabrys scored the Blues first goal of the season in the seventh minute as he got around Falcons’ keeper Elijah Brown to create an open scoring chance and made no mistake.  It was the lone goal of the first half.

The Blues got on the scoreboard in the first minute of the second half and it was last year’s scoring champ Sebastian Cirotto. He was awarded a penalty kick and knew exactly what to do to give his club a two-goal advantage.

Despite the early PK, the Falcons bounced right back and cut the lead in half when Zyahn Adlam headed home a loose ball after a free kick in the 46^th minute. 

The eventual game winner came from Cirotto, his second of the contest in the 63^rd minute restoring the Blues two-goal advantage.   That said, the Falcons didn’t go away.  Veteran David Rodriguez was awarded a penalty kick just three minutes after the Cirotto goal and converted for his second of the season cutting the lead to one, however it was as close as they would come not finding the equalizer.

Royals sweep on the Island

SATURDAY – Douglas Royals 2 – VIU Mariners 1

This was a physical game with plenty of players finding their way to the turf after a tough tackle. The teams went back and forth in the opening 45, but neither team could find the scoresheet.

Finally, in the 54^th minute Ryo Yoshida got the Royals on the board with a gorgeous corner kick, using the wind he bent the ball around the keeper and into the back of the net.

The lead, however, didn’t last long as the Mariners came right back three minutes later when captain Ashton Bryant sent a cross into the box that Brian Bland aggressively headed home for the equalizer.

With the game hanging in the balance, the Royals scored the eventual game winner in the 74^th minute.  They forced a turnover in the midfield with first-year Leo Anh launching an incredible rocket of a shot from distance that went off the Mariners’ keeper’s hands and into the net.

The home side put on pressure with the clock winding down but couldn’t get the tying goal and the Royals held on for the victory.

SUNDAY – Douglas Royals 3 – VIU Mariners 2

The back half of the weekend doubleheader was equally physical and exciting on Sunday afternoon when the visiting Royals captured the sweep.

They opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Ayman Sahmuddeen showed off some pretty footwork to give himself just enough room to blast a shot from distance past the diving keeper.

The hometown Mariners tied the game in the 15^th minute when Josh Rayner scored his first of the season.  He corralled a loose bouncing ball and chipped it towards the net that looped over the Royals keeper for the tying marker.

With time winding down before half in the 43^rd minute the Royals created a turnover with pressure in the Mariners end. After some tick-tack-toe passing Sahmuddeen one-timed a tap pass and blasted it past the keeper to give his club the lead at the break.

The game remained 2-1 until the 75^th minute when the Mariners tied it.  Charlie Smith was awarded a PK and snuck it just inside the right post to tie the game much to the enjoyment of the Mariners faithful.

With the game nearing the 90^th minute the Royals had sustained pressure on the Mariners with Gavin Johnston finding himself with the ball and a clear shot.  He made no mistake and blasted a shot bar down into the back of the net to give the Royals the victory and the weekend sweep.