The VIU Mariners men’s and women’s soccer teams have both reached the gold medal match at the national collegiate championships. Several Comox Valley footballers are on the Mariners. Chloe Gummer and Justine McMahon play for the women, and Grayson Chalifoux, Travis Brown and Hans Haagerup for the men.
After winning their second consecutive PacWest provincial title, the women were seeded number five seed heading into CCAA nationals in Edmonton. They kicked off the tournament Wednesday with a 3-2 win over the host Seneca Sting, the fourth-ranked team in the 15-team tourney. In Thursday’s semi-final, VIU defeated the defending champs and second-ranked Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers 2-1 in penalty kicks — which puts the Mariners in Saturday’s championship final. They face Dynamiques de Saint-Foy, the ninth-ranked women’s team.
Despite losing to the Douglas College Royals in the PacWest final, the men earned a wildcard berth to nationals at Durham College in Oshawa, Ont. Ranked number three heading into the tourney, the Mariners beat No. 15 Lethbridge Kodiaks 2-1 in a quarter-final game Wednesday. In Thursday’s semi-final, they beat the 13th-ranked Humber Hawks in penalty kicks. The win puts the Mariners in Saturday’s championship final against the host Durham Lords.
Follow the tournaments at ccaa.ca