An Entertaining Sunday

Langara Falcons 0 – Douglas Royals 0

For the first time this season a PACWEST game ends in a scoreless tie despite some glorious chances on both sides of the pitch.

Perhaps the best chance of the game came in the 78^th minute for the Falcons.  With a forward in the box, the Royals defender tripped him up and the referee awarded a Falcons penalty shot.  Fortunately for the Royals, keeper Matteo Lamon was on his game and made a diving stop to his left to keep the PK out and the game scoreless.

In the end Lamon made an eye popping 13 saves, 10 in the second half to give his teammates a chance while Falcons’ keeper Ziyan Clark-Ismail collected four saves, three in the first half.  

Capilano Blues 2 – VIU Mariners 1

This was a physical affair as both teams are developing a solid dislike for each other.   A total of seven yellow cards were issued on Sunday afternoon.

On the offensive side the Blues opened the scoring in the 22^nd minute.  Off a Blues throw in towards the box, the ball ricocheted off a Mariners heading attempt to a wide-open Aydin Ali on the far side of the box for an easy tap in.

Before the half the Mariners found the equalizer in the 35^th minute. Maxwell Dadzie sent a long, looping pass down the pitch into the offensive zone towards a sprinting Brian Bland.  He split the Blues backline with a header to propel the ball into the box.  With the keeper coming out to challenge, the ball was pinballed between the two athletes, last directed by Bland with just enough top spin to roll into the net with Bland tripped up and laying on his stomach watching the ball cross the goal line.   

Coming out of the break, the Blues found the game winner in the 48^th minute.  With the ball bouncing around the Mariners crease, Ali intercepted a clearing attempt, blasted a shot that would go off a Mariners defender and redirected into his own net for Ali’s second of the game.

The physical play picked up after that goal with three yellow cards issued in the final 26 minutes.  In that same time span, all was quiet on the scoresheet with the Blues hanging on for an important victory to split the weekend on the Island.