North Enderby Timber toppled Turn-Key Controls 3-0, while Salmon Arm Courvas grounded Monashee FC 6-2 in North Okanagan Soccer League playoff action Wednesday night.
NET is 1-0 and Courvas 2-0 in the round-robin portion of the post-season. The Timber battle Peters Tirecraft in a make-up match Monday night (6:30) at MacDonald Park.
Courvas opened the scoring on a free kick and then doubled it on a short-side finish. After going down three, the heavily insured right foot of Ryan Sharp brought one back for MFC on a stunner free kick from 30 yards.
Courvas continued to apply pressure and popped another, but once again the sweet right foot of Sharp bagged another off a free kick. Courvas scored two more to finish the offence.
Peters Tirecraft came within seven minutes of a huge upset over the host Revelstoke Stallions at Queen Elizabeth Park.
The Stallions converted a late penalty kick to gain a 1-1 draw after a rebound went off a Tirecraft defender’s thigh and foot and struck his hand.
“We were still happy with the result,” said Tirecraft veteran Brad Conlin. “We went up there with two subs and were missing three or four key guys and we dug in hard.”
Tirecraft took the lead midway through the opening half when David Choi stripped the ball from a defender, sped down the right flank, deked one Stallion and dished to striker Riley Strothers, who buried it low bottom corner.
Riley Spraggs was stellar in the Vernon net, while central fullback Torin Hampton had a marvellous showing and outside defender Bryn Knopf enjoyed a bold match.
Brent Poulsen dribbled past the helpless keeper thanks to a great through ball from Mike Bennett. Evan Frederick outmuscled a defender to beat the keeper short side from six yards and Kyle Halvorson was perfectly positioned in front of the net from a cross from Alex Farina.
Meanwhile, former Thompson Rivers University WolfPack star Sebastian Gardner will be an assistant coach with the CIS men’s soccer team.
Head coach John Antulov announced that former University of the College of the Cariboo star Tim Hutton along with ex-WolfPack players Adam Dodgson and Allan Connor will also be his assistants.
“I wanted to get guys who I have worked with in the past and think along the same lines as myself,” said Antulov, who enters his first season as sole head coach of the WolfPack. “I am fortunate that I have three assistants who I have coached in the past and had great leadership qualities along with have the potential to be quality coaches. They want to get into the coaching field. With Tim Hutton, he has worked with me for many years since I returned to Kamloops. He and I have played together and coached for almost 30 years.”
Gardner, who turned 26 two weeks ago, says one key component of the coaching staff will be a sense of familiarity.
“The program is so close: from management to players. Everyone gets along pretty well and is open and connected. I played for both John and Sean (Wallace, TRU’s former co-head coach). I have the utmost respect for them as coaches and people. They taught me so much. Adam and Al, I have played with and I think we all have a common passion: we love the sport and want to get better every day.”
The WolfPack begin training Tuesday. Their first CIS match will be played at home: Sept. 12 at Hillside Stadium against the Trinity Western Spartans.
