Kevin Rothbauer Citizen
Glen Martin couldn’t quite believe his ears, but it was true.
After the Provincial Cup draw on Tuesday, Martin learned that his team’s opponent will be none other than Bays United, the team his squad had defeated two days earlier in the Jackson Cup final for Island men’s soccer supremacy.
“What are the odds of that?” Marin asked.
Pretty good, apparently. The Vancouver cup finalists, West Van and Metro Ford, are also slated to meet in the first round of provincials.
Cowichan will host Bays on April 23 at David Williams Field on Sherman Road.
Despite the surprise of meeting Bays again so soon, Martin is pleased with his team’s draw. If they can beat Bays, who finished fourth in Island league play, their next two games will be at home, and the final will be played in Victoria, meaning LMG won’t have to leave the Island.
“We couldn’t ask for anything better,” the coach said. “I think it’s a good draw.”
While Martin acknowledged it might be more exciting for the fans to see a more exotic team from Vancouver or the Fraser Valley in the first round, he is fine with seeing Bays again.
“We know who Bays are, we know we can beat them,” he said. “There are no guarantees, though.”
Not that any pushovers make the tournament at all.
“All 16 teams, realistically, are good teams,” Martin said.