PCSL Playoffs

Posted on: Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Match Dates:

(Women)  Saturday, July 24 @ 4:00pm v. Fraser Valley Action / Finals - Sunday July 25 @ 2:30pm

(Reserves)  Saturday July 24 @ 2:00pm v. Vancouver Thunderbirds / Finals – Sunday July 25 @ 12:30pm

Venue: Coquitlam Town Centre Park

For soccer fans and players alike, the time of year has come that everyone waits for.  The playoffs are here!  For the Highlanders Reserve Men and Women’s First Team, this weekend’s PCSL Challenge Cup Tournament in Coquitlam marks the culmination of an entire season’s work and training.  For the teams who qualify the past is erased and the only thing that matters is now.  In one single match, an entire season can be swept away, for one team, the end, for another, glory.  The two-day tournament features two semi-final matches in each division on Saturday with the winners playing off on Sunday in the final where one side will be crowned 2010 Champions.  It is an exciting time of year, providing thrills and drama that will surely not disappoint.

 

Women

The Victoria Highlanders Women will kick off their quest for the Championship on Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm versus the Fraser Valley Action.  This is an intriguing match up as the Action were one of only two teams to beat the Highlanders in league play this year earning 4 out of a possible 6 points against the Victoria side.  Fraser Valley took a 2-1 victory at Bear Mountain Stadium, then followed that up with a 0-0 draw at home against the Highlanders last weekend before dismantling Okanagan 7-0.  The Action will have plenty of confidence heading into this playoff matchup and will undoubtedly come to play.  The Lady ‘Landers may not have had much luck versus Fraser Valley but they will take solace in the fact that they were the league’s second most dominating team this year, finishing second in the overall tables, second in goals for with 53 and first in goals against, allowing a paltry 9 goals in 16 matches.  VHFC are a side that know how to score and are even more adept at keeping the ball out of their goal that is hard to bet against in a “winner take all” scenario such as this.  The Highlanders also boast the league’s top goal scorer of the year in Liz Hansen who equaled her own record of 19 goals scored, a fact that should have Highlanders fans breathing a little easier heading into the weekend.  No matter the outcome, this fixture has every possibility of being the match of the tournament.

NOTE: The 1st place Vancouver Whitecaps Prospects take on 5th place Coquitlam, who only qualified for playoffs as they are hosting the event, at 2:00pm on Saturday July 24.

 

Reserves

The Highlanders Reserve men take the pitch on Saturday as well when they face the 1st place Vancouver Thunderbirds in their semi-final at 2:00pm.  The Thunderbirds coasted to first place in the Men’s Premier League tables with a 12-1-3 record, enjoying an eleven-point cushion on second place finishers Khalsa Sporting, allowing just 9 goals against while scoring 30, easily the best differential in the league.  Although the Thunderbirds seem like Goliath on paper, their record over their past three matches falls more under the David category as Vancouver limped to the finish line dropping a 3-1 decision to Victoria United, narrowly defeating Khalsa 1-0 and finishing the season with a 0-0 draw against Okanagan, scoring just 2 goals along the way.  The Victoria Highlanders meanwhile are the only playoff team sporting a record with more losses than wins, but collected enough points in their five draws to push them through to the post-season.  The Highlanders dropped a 1-0 decision in their last match of the regular season to cross-town rivals Victoria United but prior to that, served up a 7-0 drubbing of United and lost just twice in their last nine matches.  To boot, the Highlanders fared well against Vancouver in the regular season, losing 1-0 and drawing 0-0 respectively; stats they will prefer to draw upon heading into the weekend.

NOTE: 2nd place Khalsa Sporting Club will take on 3rd place Okanagan Challenge in the other semi-final match up.