A hard-fought Div. 4 men’s soccer match at the Sherman Road turf on Saturday evening saw Cowichan Red Arrow come away with a 5-0 win over JDF United.
The game featured several big hits, including one in the first half between Cowichan’s Matty Archambault and a JDF player that sent both men to the sidelines. Archambault ended up with a slit-open eye, while the United player went to hospital with a more severe cut on top of his head.
“Even though contact remained fairly hard and steady the whole game, no other serious injuries resulted,” Cowichan coach Will Chaster noted.
Cowichan went into the match with the goal of compressing and containing JDF, and the game plan didn’t take long to pay off as Brandon Tolfo scored the first goal at the six-minute mark. Jonas Golf-Myers had the only other goal of the first half.
“The relentless press our team was able to sustain for the course of the game took its toll on the visitors in the second half,” Chaster said.
Owen Meyland scored off a cracker of a shot from well outside the box in the 53rd minute. Golf-Myers added his second of the game 14 minutes later, and Cole Lawrence buried one more four minutes after that.
“We are getting better each game with back-to-back shutouts,” Chaster said. “It is the start of building defence with a strong backline fronted with a midfielder willing to support them.”
Red Arrow remains tied for first in Div. 4B with Castaways, who have a game in hand. Cowichan will visit Bays United at Oak Bay High School on Sunday afternoon.