With a league title on the line, Nanaimo United’s top women’s side left no doubt.
The team clinched first in the Lower Island Women’s Soccer Association’s Div. 1 with an 11-0 win over Cowichan on Saturday at Merle Logan Field.
“Opposition aside, they played really well,” said Daragh Fitzgerald, co-coach. “I think we had four girls score their first goals of the season, so it was a bit of fun.”
The team had already secured promotion to the premier division for 2016-17, so to achieve that goal, then the league title, was a “really, really good accomplishment…” Fitzgerald said. “To go from struggling last year to winning it this year was a huge achievement for them.”
He and co-coach Paddy Greig tried to put a structure in place that allowed the women to just worry about playing soccer.
“All they just want to do is go out and play…” Fitzgerald said. “We got it organized, we got coaches in place, we found nights that worked for everybody and that little bit of organization made a huge difference.”
United’s Div. 3 women’s side, coached by Anthony Vassallo, was also able to win a league title with a 3-0 shutout against Vic West on Sunday at Merle Logan Field.
GAME ON … The teams begin Doug Day Cup play this Sunday (Feb. 21) with a doubleheader at Merle Logan Field, as the Div. 1 women play Vic West at noon and the Div. 3 women take on Cowichan at 2 p.m.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
