Victoria, BC – The University of Victoria played some of their best soccer as it defeated Mount Royal University 2-1 on Oct. 2 at Centennial Stadium.
Vikes were out for revenge in the first half.
- In a game that carried weight for the Vikes, it was their first chance to avenge their Canada West playoffs semifinal loss to the Cougars. To open the game, both teams were playing tentatively, feeling each other out while looking for an opening for offence. Victoria was the first to find success offensively; Ole Cameron fed Jack Napier-Ganley in the slot, and Napier-Ganley curved a shot perfectly out of the reach of the Cougars' goalkeeper and into the top right corner. Napier-Ganley's second of the season put the Vikes ahead 1-0.
- Just six minutes later, the Vikes were back applying pressure to the Cougars back line. Griffin Leach sent a long looping cross to a wide-open Evan Larson. Larson blasted a shot on net, but the Cougars' goalkeeper made the save. The rebound bounced right to Larson, and he buried the second chance.
- The story of the first half was the Vikes' dominance. Copious scoring chances paired with quality defending, Victoria outclassed the Cougars to a 2-0 halftime lead.
Cougars fought back, but the Vikes held on.
- Mount Royal came out of the locker room after halftime with hopes of clawing their way back into the match. With the increased pressure, the Vikes were forced into a lower block to defend against the Cougars' scoring attempts. In the 59th minute, the Cougars were awarded a penalty shot for a tackle in the box. The attackers stepped up and scored the penalty shot to cut into the Vikes' 2-1 lead.
- Anchored by Fin Tugwell and Archie Tugwell, the defence from Victoria withstood a Cougars attack desperate for a game-tying goal. The Vikes held on for the big 2-1 win.
Notables:
- The Vikes give the Cougars their third loss of the season as they improve to 4-3-1. The Cougars fall to 6-3-1 with the loss.
The Vikes will be back tomorrow, Oct. 3, to play the MacEwan Griffins at Centennial Stadium.
