The Scorpions came to play, but it was the Kondors carving out a well-earned 3-2 win on home field in BC High School AA Sr. Boys soccer action last Thursday.
A fiercely contested match between to good sides, both with a win and a loss in Mid-Island league play, this one, said Kwalikum coach Butch Gayton, “was a huge win for us,” adding it could very well be “the turning point of our season.”
Senior striker Owen Mathison staked KSS to a 1-0 lead 15 minutes in. The Scorpions replied 15 minutes later off a botched clearing attempt. Mathison, who has been a force this season, “is playing the best soccer he’s ever played as a Kondor, ever,” said Gayton.
Ben Robson upped it to 2-1 for KSS early in the second half off a beautiful through-ball from call-up Darien Atkinson. The two players hooked up again a few minutes later when Atkinson cleaned up a Robson rebound for a 3-1 Kondor lead.
The Scorpions scored with about 10 minutes remaining to cut to within one, but KSS closed the door.
Kwalikum’s keeper, converted center-mid Kevin Frampton “has been solid all year for us.”
With the win over Gulf Islands under their belts, the Kondors travelled to Campbell River on the weekend for the Carihi Invitational.
KSS opened with a 3-nil loss to the Glenlyon Norfolk Secondary Gryphons from Victoria, then bounced back with a 2-0 win over Red Devils from Pemberton off goals from Mathison and Cole Stanhope.
Saturday morning, the Kondors dominated the SMU Blue Devils 3-0 in what Gayton said was his side’s best start to any game so far this season. Stanhope, Andreas Zahrer and Brett Binnersly bulged the twine in that one.
KSS closed out the tourney with a 3-1 win over the Highlands Raiders. Connall Spencer struck for two goals and Stanhope salted the win which earned the Kondors third place.
Worth noting is that nine of the Kondors were back in action at QB Rec Fields on Sunday for house league action — their sixth game in four days.
BIG GAME ON
The Kondors are home Thursday (3:30 p.m.) for a big league game against Brentwood College.