A particularly young Cowichan LMG team capped off a second-half comeback against Gorge FC last Saturday by winning on penalty kicks to claim the inaugural Vancouver Island Soccer League Challenge Cup.
The new competition saw the reigning league champs (Cowichan) take on the defending Jackson Cup champs (Gorge) at Hampton Park. Cowichan’s team this season bears little resemblance to last year’s roster, while Gorge’s lineup is nearly identical.
“Considering we were going down there just trying to be competitive and their team is basically still intact, while we’ve got half our team [from last year], it was a good result,” Cowichan coach Glen Martin said.
Cowichan’s starting 11 included five players summoned from their U21 affiliate: Devin Jack, Michael and Nic Fusick, Logan Kits and Adyn Lamont. Lamont is just 16, and Fusick is 15, but the youngsters acquitted themselves well playing against men.
“They all played pretty much the whole game,” Martin said. “They’re really, really young kids, and they played really good.”
Playing in windy conditions that didn’t benefit either team — “It was either too much in behind you or too much in your face,” Martin said — Gorge scored first against the play, then doubled their lead on a corner kick.
“It was 2-0 at the half, but we felt good because we played well,” Martin said. “The guys were pretty confident. They’re so young, they don’t know any better; they have no fear, no nerves.”
It also helped the Cowichan cause when Kevan Brown came into the game in the second half. Brown didn’t start after missing two weeks of practice while working out of town, but made his presence felt when he entered.
“A good player like that makes a huge difference,” Martin said.
Russell Lederer got Cowichan on the board with about 20 minutes to go, then with about five minutes left to play, Cowichan was awarded a penalty shot when Colin Knight was taken down, and Devin Jack smashed it in the corner.
Tied 2-2, the teams went to penalty kicks.
“Everybody there for Gorge was in shock, I think,” Martin said.
Cowichan’s Darian Achurch outdid Gorge’s keeper, and Jacob Ready scored the decisive goal as LMG hit four of seven attempts and Gorge hit three.
Even Martin and assistant coach Ryan Flynn were surprised with the outcome, considering the depleted lineup the team is carrying right now.
“After the game, Flynn and I looked at each other like, ‘what happened?’” Martin recalled.
Martin’s one disappointment with the game was that it wasn’t played at Cowichan’s turf, considering his team has won four straight league titles and four of the previous seven Jackson Cups prior to Gorge’s win last year.
“The first Challenge Cup should have been held at the park that produced the most champions,” he said.
Cowichan will play host to Comox this Saturday at 4 p.m. While Cowichan’s lone league game so far was a 1-1 draw with Fernwood town, Comox has lost both of their matches.
“They’ll be a desperate team,” Martin said. “They don’t want to start the season 0-3. They work hard. They’re physical. It will be a hard game; it always is.”