Through six games this season, Cowichan LMG has recorded nine goals, one each from eight different players, and an own-goal against the Mid Isle Mariners.
The latest player to get on the board for Cowichan was Tyson Black, who did all the scoring in his team’s 1-0 win over Lakehill at Victoria’s Braefoot Park last Friday. Black found the back of the net around the 31-minute mark, scoring from a scramble in front of the Lakehill net off a corner kick. Cowichan clamped down defensively, and one goal proved to be enough.
“It was really good,” head coach Glen Martin said. “A textbook kind of 1-0 road win.”
Lakehill went into the weekend holding down first place in Div. 1 of the Vancouver Island Soccer League, but Cowichan was ready for the task.
“It was a pretty even game,” Martin said. “We started well. They came on about 15 or 20 minutes in and had chances to score.”
Cowichan almost scored on a breakaway late in the first half, then missed on a penalty shot early in the second. Offence hasn’t been easy to come by for the team, so Martin had reason to be concerned.
“We had two chances where we should have gone up 2-0,” he noted. “I thought that was going to come back to haunt us.”
Cowichan’s strategy for the match made up for those missed opportunities.
“Everybody played well,” Martin said. “We had a good game plan and we stuck to it. Our formation was good for the small field. Everybody bought into it. We shut them down pretty good.”
Russell Lederer lined up as Cowichan’s lone forward and had an excellent game despite being held off the scoresheet.
“He ran miles,” Martin said. “It’s hard to believe he didn’t score a goal.”
Martin used one U21 call-up, Adyn Lamont, while another sat on the bench but didn’t see the field. The lone sub to enter the game was Jacob Ready, who went in for Black at halftime. Keeper Darian Achurch recorded his second clean sheet of the season.
“He made the couple of saves he had to make,” Martin said. “It was nice to see us get the one-goal lead and manage the game out, play solid defensively. We had them contained.”
Still undefeated, Cowichan has three wins and three ties to sit fourth of 10 Div. 1 teams. LMG will visit Nanaimo this coming Saturday at Merle Logan Park, kicking off at 1:30 p.m. Nanaimo is currently second in the league. This will be the teams’ first meeting of the season.
“It will be another good challenge for us, on the road against a top team,” Martin said.