Upper Island (UI) Riptides took on a determined Cowichan under 15 boys side and came away with a hard earned 2-0 victory.
Vancouver Island Premier League is Tier II soccer and comprised of seven regionally-based teams. Victoria offers four sides along with Cowichan, Nanaimo and Upper Island. The Riptides is made up of players from Comox Valley, Campbell River, Powell River and Texada Island.
In ideal fall conditions on the superb Carihi High pitch, the first 40 minutes were back and forth. With strong offensive play by each side, the better scoring opportunities tilted toward the Riptides. The difference came down to tremendous backend play by Riptides defenders Will Blouin-Comeau, Ben Gastis, Declan Arnold and Brandon Rairie from Texada Island, who made life difficult for the Cowichan forwards all afternoon.
Half time saw the score even at zero with each side set on the all-important first goal.
It came at the 64-minute mark when Derek Mellish struck a glorious corner kick which was headed high, just above the outstretched hands of Cowichan’s goalie, by Ryan Cessford with absolutely precise timing. It was a magnificent goal and a wonderful boost to team spirits.
Cowichan was desperate to even the affair and a number of forays into the Riptides’ end were cause for concern. However, while the Riptides defenders felt the pressure, they did not crack.
The final dagger was Dhruval Shah’s effort at 71-minutes. His deft ball handling in the middle of the box was finished with a well-placed strike into the top right corner. Game over, 2-0.
Following the game, Bruno Cristante, assistant coach, said “The Cowichan side played very hard and were determined to take this one. That said, better team play will be necessary for our boys to find success versus some of the Victoria sides coming up.”
The Riptides’ next game is at noon on Sunday, October 16 against Victoria’s Bays RFC in Comox at the Valley-view number three pitch. The team will take on Nanaimo Storm in Powell River over the weekend of October 22 and 23, at Brooks Turf field. Ben Payne and Niko Cristante from Powell River also play on the team.
