Powell River’s United Masters soccer team is about to enter into its second season with the North Island league and organizers are expecting big results.
The team is in an over-35 division that started last year. Currently five teams compete in the North Island league, including Denman Island, Campbell River, Comox and Qualicum Beach. However, Powell River manager and player Darren Mousseau said that he expects more teams will soon join, as the league develops.
United plays a 12 game schedule with a game every two weeks. The winner of the league hosts the playoffs and then the winner of the playoffs plays for a provincial cup that involves the top 20 teams in BC. The league has also been accepted to play in the Tony Grover Cup, the equivalent of the Jackson Cup on Vancouver Island, which involves 25 teams.
“So that’s our main goal, we’re trying to get to that,” said Mousseau. “We’re going to be a lot better this year, let’s just leave it at that. I wouldn’t doubt it. I’m expecting us to go to provincial cup for sure.”
Powell River made the finals last year but lost to Qualicum in double overtime on penalty shots. Last year’s team only had 12 players going into the finals, whereas this year it is starting the season with a full roster of 30 players. Some of the members are former Villa players and some have played in national competitions.
The team’s first game of the season is at 1:00 pm on Sunday, September 11 against Comox at Sunset Park in Wildwood. The team plays every second Sunday.
The team has a website with a schedule and roster information.
