Cowichan’s Div. 2 women’s soccer team brought a lot of energy to the pitch on Jan. 11 in their return to action after the Christmas break.
Nicole Pugh scored three times and Tiara Enger had the other two as Cowichan dominated Lakehill 5-0 at the Sherman Road turf.
“Lots of passing and smart plays helped us out,” Cowichan coach Darbi Aitchison said. “We used our speed on the wings and up front to keep the ball moving, always trying to find the open player. We have a few women off on injuries so we had to fill positions with players who don’t normally play there, but everyone took it in stride.
“We’re hoping to see the energy continue as we come into cup play season, but we’ll take each game as they come.”
Cowichan followed that game up with a close 2-0 loss to first-place Peninsula in Central Saanich last Sunday. The team travelled with just 10 players and played a solid defensive game, with both goals coming off corner kicks. Goalkeeper Kelsey McKernan made some key saves to keep the score low.
Cowichan remains ninth out of 10 teams in Div. 1 with 11 points, two back of Fernwood and three back of Gorge, with a game in hand on both teams. Cowichan hosts Gorge this Friday at 8 p.m.
The over-30A Cowichan Cougars got their first game of 2019 off to an excellent start last Friday, but had to settle for a 2-2 tie with Prospect Lake.
The Cougars jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 20 minutes. Stacey de Lusignan slipped the ball inside the post to open the scoring, then used a corner kick to set up Jenna Waddy for the next goal.
“I just tried to get my body on it,” Waddy said. “I think it ended up going off my hip, but a goal is a goal.”
Prospect Lake managed to turn the tide in the second half, scoring twice in a five-minute span to draw even. Fill-in goalie Tara McCaffery saved the tie with a big save in the final minute.
“We were happy to finish with a tie in a rainy away game,” coach Darian Achurch noted. “They were coming on strong and we were missing a number of players. I am proud of how our girls started the second half of the season.”
The Cougars will host Gorge FC this Sunday at 10 a.m. at Evans Park.
