In coach Marilyn Pugh's own words, Cowichan's Lower Island Women's Soccer Association team "took a butt kickin'" in a 4-1 loss to Gorge FC last Sunday.
Just one spot ahead of Cowichan in the LIWSA Div. 1 standings, Gorge scored the first two goals of the game, but Cowichan replied with a pretty breakaway goal from Nicole Pugh.
"She beat the defense, waited for the goalie to come out and commit, and then just dribbled calmly around her and put it in the net," Marilyn Pugh related.
Gorge came back and scored two more goals to put it away.
Playing on the turf field didn't help Cowichan's chances, the coach noted.
"I have to be honest, Cowichan is at a definite disadvantage every time we have to play on turf," she said. "We are used to playing and practicing on grass which is so much different than turf. Hopefully Duncan will some day have turf so we can equal the playing field out a little bit."
Cowichan remains fourth in Div. 1 with a 6-4-1 record and a league-high 30 goals for. The team also has at least one game in hand on everyone else in the league, and has three in hand on Gorge.
Cowichan will host Vic West FC this Sunday at noon at Evans Park. Vic West FC sits first in the division, but Cowichan won their first meeting this year 2-0 on Vic West's home field.
"Fortunately, this is a home game on grass," Pugh said. "We really need to catch Nicole on the fly because with her speed, if she gets away, they won't catch her. We also need to feed the outside mids so they can cross the ball and hopefully score off that."