Somewhat unexpectedly, Cowichan LMG find themselves atop the Div. 1 standings in the Vancouver Island Soccer League.
A 2-0 win over Vic West on Saturday, combined with a loss for former top dogs Lakehill, vaulted Cowichan into first place, something coach Glen Martin knew was possible, but wasn’t counting on, especially at this point in the season.
“I’m surprised we’re in first place this early,” he said. “I thought it would be the last game of the season and we’d pull off a big win. For us to be two games in hand and in first place is surprising.”
Both Cowichan and second-place Westcastle have two games in hand on the rest of the league, but they will have to face each other twice, and Lakehill and Nanaimo aren’t out of the race yet, so it’s too early to get too excited, Martin cautioned.
“I don’t even want to look at the standings,” he said.
Stevan Zorich scored a bicycle-kick goal from about 18 yards out in the 59th minute, which stood up as the game-winner and left Martin speechless. Bicycle kicks are rarely seen at this level of the sport, and usually if a player tries one, they’re showboating. Not so in Zorich’s case, Martin noted, as the pass from Kevan Brown came just behind him and it was the only way he could get the ball and get the shot away.
“It was one of the nicest goals I’ve seen in this league,” Martin said. “Ever.”
Martin was considering making a substitution for the hard-working forward when he scored. Earlier in the game, Zorich had run all the way back from his up-field position to make a big defensive play.
“I was just about to take him off,” he explained. “He was getting tired. He was running a lot.”
Unfortunately, Zorich’s dad, Dushan, missed the goal. He had left the park at halftime to get coffee and wasn’t able to get back in time.
Steve Scott scored Cowichan’s second goal on a header off a set piece fed in by Russell Lederer. Darian Achurch picked up the clean sheet in net, his sixth of the season. Jesse Winters played his first 90-minute game in two years, solidifying the backline alongside Jordan Korven, Keevan Webb and Joel Harry.
“It’s good to have our captain back,” Martin said of Winters. “I hope he stays healthy.”
The team was well prepared for the game against Vic West.
“We had a good week of practice, and 16 or 17 guys at the game, all fired up and ready to go,” Martin said. “Our preparation was good and it paid off. As the game went along, we got stronger and stronger and stronger.”
Cowichan will play at home this Friday, hosting third-place Lakehill at 7:30 p.m. Martin doesn’t think he will have trouble motivating his team for the big game.
“It’s easy for us to stay patient and take games one at a time because we know there’s no team that can be taken for granted,” he said. “There are no easy games. This week is no different.”
