A much anticipated showdown between the top two Vancouver Island Premier League U15 boys’ soccer teams took place recently, with much at stake. For Upper Island Riptide and Saanich Fusion, a win merited the league title, a berth into the provincials and advancement to the quarter finals of the “A” Cup Coastal tournament. With so much on the line, both sides arrived well prepared.
Weather conditions were good with a slight breeze and no bright sunshine.
The match began with each side playing aggressively and determined to score first, however there were some early nerves that slowed the speed of play. There were opportunities by both sides later in the first half, however strong defences and sound goaltending held the match scoreless at halftime.
The second half saw Riptide’s passing step up which hemmed the Fusion into its end for extended periods of time. At the 63rd minute, Niko Cristante of Powell River fed an excellent lead pass to Anthony Vigernon, who was racing down the left sideline. Vigernon’s speed drew in three defenders and as he approached the corner he came to a dead stop and threaded a pass to Brandon Rairie. Rairie took the hard pass, spun around and fired a missile at the top righthand corner for a 1-0 lead.
Fusion mounted a number of efforts to even the score, however Riptide’s defence never gave any cause for hope and as play continued, Riptide controlled possession.
Overall, Riptide deserved to win and the result provided an excellent ending to the league’s season. The immediate goal is to earn a berth to the Coastal “A” Cup Tournament on the May 5 weekend in Richmond. Following the Coastal Cup, all efforts will focus on the “A” Cup provincials, July 5 to 8 in Kamloops.
