In a game dominated by North Island Riptide U16 soccer team, in terms of time of possession and scoring opportunities, the team came up short in the scoring department, suffering its first loss in two seasons, 1-0 to Juan de Fuca.
A wet field compounded by near zero temperatures, heavy rain and a penetrating wind did little to slow Riptide when the whistle blew to start the match at Carihi High field in Campbell River.
Immediately, Riptide showed excellent ball control and quick precise passing. About 10 minutes into the match, a clever give and go saw Brandon Rairie slicing through the Juan de Fuca defenders to receive a surgically precise pass from Grayson Chalifoux for a wide open break-away. Juan de Fuca’s goalie charged forward leaving little open space and Rairie’s shot just missed the far post. Five minutes later Chalifoux was at it again, this time with a deft display of passing magic with Derek Mellish that left Chalifoux all alone in front of the Juan de Fuca net. Again the goalie made an outstanding save and another on the rebound.
Riptide’s defence had an excellent start with Declan Arnold and Ben Gastis shutting down any Juan de Fuca thoughts of offence and turning play back into their opponents’ end. Just before the half, Juan de Fuca showed signs of a pulse and managed its first shot, a sharp strike from a tough angle requiring Riptide goalie Michael Girard to be on his toes.
The second half began with Juan de Fuca showing a sense of urgency. While play was fairly even, for the first time Juan de Fuca found ways to breech Riptide’s 18-metre box. Without any challenging shots on net, Juan de Fuca claimed the game’s only goal when a Riptide clearing shot misfired for an own goal at the 55-minute mark. While unfortunate, pressure by Juan de Fuca was certainly a contributing factor in the miscue.
The final 20 minutes were very similar to the first 20 as Riptide returned to quick precise passes and ball control. Determined to equal the score, Riptide attacked from the edges with wonderful crosses that found a waiting Riptide foot or head, however the outcome was good goaltending or a near miss. Similarly, attacks through the centre were met with a Juan de Fuca side playing full defence. The play of Cole Freeman and Travis Brown, playing midfield, stood out as Riptide took firm control of the play. The pressure was relentless, resulting in two penalty kicks just outside the 18-metre box and four consecutive corner kicks and numerous close calls. However, on this day, Riptide would not see the equalizing goal.
The result marked the end to a very impressive streak of 22 league games without a loss dating back to September 2011. Despite the loss, Riptide continues to lead Vancouver Island Premier League standings with a record of 5-1-3.
