Cowichan Red Arrow faced few challenges on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Lakehill Hooligans 2-0 to remain among the top teams in Div. 4 of the Vancouver Island Soccer League.
Even as the Cowichan defenders played well up the field, they still made it easy for goalkeeper Tim den Hartigh to post his fourth shutout of the season.
“Our defence was able to press high up the pitch in this game,” Cowichan head coach Will Chaster said. “And any counters were run down, or more often thwarted at midfield, by the pair of central defenders tonight: Matt Owen and Nic Jones.”
With the defenders ably holding off any scoring opportunities, den Hartigh didn’t have many chances to show off his goaltending abilities.
“I personally do not remember him making a challenging save,” Chaster said.
Cowichan’s first goal came on one of a dozen chances for Mike Bellefleur as he scored on a volley from just inside the box that eluded the Lakehill keeper’s outstretched arms.
Red Arrow got two frontline players back in action for Saturday’s match as Kevin Smith and Kaelin Leddy returned from injury. Both players had multiple scoring chances, but Leddy was able to finish one of his off, with a hard-struck ball that the Lakehill keeper couldn’t hang on to.
Cowichan will head to Westhills Stadium on Sunday to visit JDF United for their last road game of this portion of the season.