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Cougars miss out on vital points in LIWSA standings

Cowichan Over 30A team ties Juan de Fuca
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Cowichan’s Stacey de Lusignan kicks the ball over her own head in the first half of last Sunday’s 2-2 tie with Juan de Fuca. (Kevin Rothbauer/Citizen)

Hoping for a win that would be a huge boost to their goal of staying in the Lower Island Women’s Soccer Association’s Over 30A division, the Cowichan Cougars had to settle for a 2-2 tie against Juan de Fuca at Evans Park on Sunday, leaving the teams deadlocked as they try to avoid finishing last.

JDF started the game quickly, needing just five minutes to open the scoring after capitalizing on a couple of missed tackles by Cowichan defenders. Despite sustained pressure, the Cougars didn’t bury the tying goal until just before halftime. A series of cross-field passes got the ball to Jen Mann, who was playing at forward for the first time, and finished the play perfectly.

“It was exactly what we had been trying to do with our ball possession,” Cougars coach Darian Achurch remarked. “We moved the ball from one side of the field to the other and didn’t try to force it through their defenders.”

JDF went ahead again midway through the second half, again following a defensive miscue by Cowichan, who otherwise limited the visiting team’s chances. The Cougars tied the score again as the final whistle approached when a strange pass by Stacey de Lusignan ended up sneaking in the side of the net.

The Cougars created a few more chances down the stretch, including a goal-line scramble, but couldn’t change the result.

“It was good to get some result coming off the holiday break,” Cougars player Tara McCaffery said. “Of course we wanted the win but something is better than nothing.”

Although the Cougars and JDF are tied with seven points apiece, three back of fourth-place Prospect Lake, Cowichan has three games in hand on JDF, and also holds the edge in both wins and goal differential.

The Cougars will continue to look for a win this coming Sunday as they visit Gorge in the only LIWSA match of the weekend.



Kevin Rothbauer

About the Author: Kevin Rothbauer

Kevin Rothbauer is the sports reporter for the Cowichan Valley Citizen
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