Last year’s B.C. champs are this year’s target.
The Douglas College Royals women’s soccer team is adjusting to their new position atop the ‘favoured rival’ post, as each opponent lines up to beat the standard bearers from 2015.
It showed in the season opener, which saw Douglas fall 1-0 to the Langara Falcons.
Perhaps the Royals had Vancouver Island University on its mind during the midweek game; the VIU Mariners were the opposition last fall when Douglas emerged with a 2-0 victory and its first-ever provincial banner.
When the two teams met Saturday, the visiting Mariners were poised to exact some revenge.
They built up leads of 3-1 and 4-2, then nearly spoiled a valiant comeback and were up 5-4 with just five minutes left in regulation.
Cue the Royals’ second-year striker Mikayla Hamilton, who with time a factor buried a shot from the edge of the goalkeeper’s box to the top corner to earn a 5-5 draw.
The game was a measure of determination and rallies, at least from Douglas’ viewpoint. Trailing most of the game, the hosts didn’t falter despite a pair of two-goal deficits.
Andrea Perrotta played a huge role in the comeback, depositing back-to-back free kicks to make it 4-4 in the second half.
Vancouver Island forced Douglas’ hand with another goal, but Hamilton came through with her first of the season.
Also scoring for the New Westminster-based squad were defender Sonali Dholiwor and forward Chanelle Collins.
Although the goals against was a cause for concern, the offence was a pleasant surprise. Last year’s championship relied a great deal on the dynamic duo Danae Harding and Marni McMillan, who graduated after supplying 18 of the club’s 29 goals last season.
To wrap up the week, Douglas broke a scoreless tie on Sunday when Michelle Wessa capitalized on a Quest turnover to net the game’s lone marker in a 1-0 victory.
Picking up the shutout for the Royals was first-year netminder Alexa Gazzola.
Douglas hits the road this week, venturing to North Vancouver to play Capilano on Sunday.
