VIU’s soccer teams made it two provincial championships in one day.
Vancouver Island University’s women’s and men’s soccer teams both won Pacific Western Athletic Association championships on Sunday, Oct. 30, in West Vancouver.
The Mariners women won in convincing fashion, 5-1 over the Douglas Royals.
Kate Reynolds and Jade Dillabough scored less than a minute apart late in the first half and although the Royals made it 2-1 by halftime, the Mariners overmatched the competition the rest of the way. Shea Battie, Dillabough and Saki Meshida scored in the second half and Melanie Osborne was the winning goalkeeper.
Dillabough was chosen player of the game as well as tournament MVP and Reynolds and Osborne were all-stars.
The Mariners men made it double gold later Sunday evening as they shut out the Langara Falcons 2-0 to win the PacWest championship.
Billy Bagiopoulos, who scored twice in the semifinals the previous day, scored early in the gold-medal match for what proved to be the championship-winning goal. Matthew Coburn also scored and Michael Heppelle, a midfielder pressed into goalkeeping due to injury, recored the clean sheet.
Bagiopoulos was chosen tournament MVP and Heppelle was an all-star.
Both VIU teams now advance to nationals. The women will travel to play in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championships at Champlain College in Saint-Lambert, Que., from Nov. 9-12 and the VIU men will face host Langara and the rest of the country’s top men’s college sides in Langley from Nov. 9-12.
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editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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