It was a weekend of great goals, comebacks and a lost trophy as Gorge FC and the Vancouver Island Soccer League hosted the senior men’s All-Star games at Hampton Turf.
A good citizen of #yyj was nice enough to get this missing trophy to my garage in the wee hours of Sunday am - post shenanigans at @Strath_Hotel ! @FVSL1 @fvsl1960 and @Hleucka should be fined. We here at #VISL will safeguard the trophy of course. pic.twitter.com/XAeynMcm5w
— Vince Greco (@vincenzo25) January 8, 2018
The visiting Fraser Valley Soccer League won the marquee match over the VISL Div. 1 all-stars, erasing a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in penalty kicks.
Cowichan player Patrick Nelson and Westcastle player Koby Greaves scored for VISL but FVSL’s Tyler Rosenlund of Burnaby and Mark Baldisimo of Coastal FC scored in the final 15 minutes to tie the match. FVSL then won in penalty kicks.
“FVSL kept putting on the pressure and did not let up,” said VISL president Vince Greco. “They were carrying plenty of the play and were rewarded with their first goal which was a very nice volley.”
FVSL also won the masters trophy, defeating the VISL 2-1.
Dave Morris of SFC Temple Utd. scored on a penalty kick just 11 minutes in for FVSL and teammate Bob Atwal of Temple Utd. FC scored at the 72-minute mark. Gorge Backfit star Francesco Cortini scored in the 78th minute.
“This game was dominated by the VISL,” Greco said. “The FVSL keeper made some great saves in the first half to keep his team ahead. FVSL had much fewer chances, but obviously capitalized when necessary.”
The day started with the U21-men defeating the Div. 4 all-stars 3-0 on goals by Ydrisa DaSilva of Prospect Lake 20 minutes in, Michael Henman of Lakehill at 33 minutes and Otniel Ionce of Bays United at the 60-minute marker. Keeper Evan Carr of the Mid Isle Mariners earned the shutout and his Mariners teammate Seb Yan was named man of the match.
The upset of the weekend came when the Div. 3 all-stars blanked their Div. 2 counterparts 3-0. Yanni Mavrikos (Hellas) scored early, at the six-minute-mark, with second half tallies by Brendan Andrews (Gorge Us-Guys) and Tyler Ostapovich (Castaways). Gorge-Us Guys keeper Matt Cook and Bays goalie Evan Pivnick shared the clean sheet. Steve Gately (Gorge Us-Guys) was the man of the match.
An enjoyable post game in the Gorge FC clubhouse continued at the Strathcona Hotel, where Greco later found the master’s all-star trophy, after the FVSL players had departed for the ferry.
”We accidentally have the masters trophy……..not sure how it was lost by FVSL and in our possession,” joked Greco.