By Colton Hornstein
Special to the Record
The Comox Valley United men played in the championship finals game of the Sir John Jackson Cup against a Vic West team filled with all-stars and ex-professionals. The game was played Saturday, March 23, and was televised. (It’s available for replay at youtube.com/watch?v=NNWcJwdkD_4)
Fan support for the CVU side was notable. More than a hundred fans made the trip down, including 54 of whom travelled together on a school bus: the youth team, as well as parents and friends of the men’s team. This crowd was dubbed “the incredible rowdy travelling support section” by the commentators and for good reason. At each of Comox’s good plays, the benches rattled from the stomps and cheers of the Comox faithful.
As massive underdogs, the men needed every ounce of that support. They entered this competition in seventh place with a negative goal differential. Vic West were last year’s champions and finished the season with no losses and two different players scoring more than 20 goals each. Comox’s strategy of playing to a draw and winning in penalties had served them well in the quarter- and semifinals, but to do so again would require total effort from the whole team.
Defender Owen Rae Harriss was up to the task, tackling defenders twice his size (and age). He commanded the back line perfectly, keeping the aggressive attackers of Vic West offside six times in the first half alone. Despite his efforts, Comox still had to fend off an onslaught of corner kicks and free kicks, including a ball that was deflected off a head just a few feet from net and a well-practised trick play that caught Comox’s defence off-guard. Keeper Justin Black was equal to the task and kept the game scoreless throughout the first half.
Comox played a 4-5-1 formation, leaving diminutive striker Kaede Sugishima to face four defenders, including 6’3, 216 lb Peter Schaale. Schaale has played professional soccer in both Germany and Canada. To his credit, Sughishima held his space against the behemoth and managed three shots on target. He would need the help of his whole team to score. On a free kick, Gokhan Avcil curled in a ball that was headed just inches wide.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 68th minute. After an injury, Comox subbed in two new players. On a corner kick shortly afterward, the new players were yet to find their positions and left Patty Nelson (the league’s top scorer in most years over the last decade) unmarked. The ball bounced erratically but Nelson had that striker’s luck to stand exactly where it ended up, firing an easy goal into Comox’s net.
Comox needed a goal so it was time to send in local hero Joe Butcher. Vic West took the opportunity to sub too, adding Bryce Marinus to their lineup. Marinus’s brother Nick was on the field for Comox so either way a local brother would be coming home with a trophy. (When asked which team he was cheering for, their father Andy Marinus replied “No comment.”)
Butcher was the first to make an impact, collecting a yellow card for a foul only minutes after coming on. Bryce would be the one to cause more damage though, making a run to the corner and sending in a perfect assist for Vic West to score their second goal.
One of Comox’s best moments came when youth player Theo Fyfe spun away from a tackle by Patty Nelson, leaving the older man on the ground. Unfortunately, flashy plays would not be enough and Comox was unable to level the score, losing 2-0 in regulation. The loss still earned them silver medals in a playoff race in which they had previously never passed the qualifying stage. They, and their fans, certainly came first in energy, volume, and spirit.
The men will play their first provincial game in the Men’s A Cup on the weekend of April 6/7 against Vancouver Metro. The women begin their provincial run the same weekend in the B Cup against Port Moody Gunners. Both games will be played in Vancouver.