Kwalikum Secondary Schools senior boys soccer team got the ball rolling on its AA regular season Tuesday with a rough and tumble 9-nil lambasting of the NDSS Islanders.
All Kondors from start to finish, KSS dominated the first half but were only rewarded with one goal — a knuckleballer from 30 yards out off the foot of Shane Gayton that handcuffed the NDSS keeper and looked to have irritated the opposition.
“It was nasty,” KSS head coach Butch Gayton said after the match, confirming what everyone in attendance saw: “There was a lot of dirty stuff going on and I’m not sure why, but there seemed to be an overabundance of international players with attitude. They came out playing the body — some terrible checks from behind,” he said, adding “we weren’t just going to lie down ...we certainly ramped up our game. We just decided we were going to move a lot quicker and move the ball before they got a chance to tackle.”
If the game was close in the opening half the Kondors blew it wide open in the second scoring early and often.
The nine goals, said Gayton, “is the most goals I can remember the Kondors scoring in a game,” adding “although the tone of the game was disappointing, I was glad that we rallied under such adverse playing conditions.”
There were two yellow cards handed out to NDSS, but there certainly could have been more.
“You’re lucky you weren’t given a red card for that,” the NDSS coach was overheard saying to one of his players after a particularly flagrant foul on the sideline that looked more like a hockey check and which sent Kwalikum’s Evan Stefanek soaring through the air with the greatest of ease (he shook it off and got right back up).
“There was a lot of dirty stuff going on
KSS keeper Mitchell Sudyko wasn’t tested much but he did run well out of his crease to break up a breakaway late in the first half (it was the ‘Isles first foray into the Kwalikum end) to keep it 1-0.
“That was an important stop — the whole tone of the game would have changed had they scored.”
Rounding out the onslaught for KSS was Igor Damosceno with the hat trick, and singles from Darien Atkinson, Luigi Trozzo, Ben Robson, Stefanek, and Santiago Bouyra.
IN JR. BOYS soccer action Both Oceanside teams won their regular season home openers Tuesday afternoon.
Kwalikum ran to a 7-2 romp over their counterparts from NDSS, and Ballenas beat Wellington 6-buz.
In QB, the Kondors turned in “their best outing of the year by far,” said Gayton, who is helping out head coach and former Ballenas standout Ali Bach who went on to be an All-Canadian on the UVic women’s team. “They controlled the game from beginning to end.”
Jacob Watson and Blair Stewart led the Kondors’ scoring with two goals apiece, and Josh Jai, Daniel Doukakis, and Max Kutzinski chipped in with singles.
Meanwhile down the road at BSS, the Whaler boys looked strong as well in their shutout over the Wildcats.
The Whalers led that one 3-0 at the half — Ian Whibley paced the blue and white with a hat trick, and Luiz Fernando, Marcus Miller and Chase Van Dyk added singles. Spencer Land minded the twine in the opening half, and Krystian Watts the second.
“We played very well — a good start for our guys,” said Whalers’ head coach Larry Stefanek.
GAMES ON
The Sr. Boys are in Campbell River this weekend for a big tournament against some tough competition. Both KSS teams are back home next week — the seniors play Tuesday and the Jr’s Wednesday.
Ballenas’ Jr. Boys are in Nanaimo next Wednesday against the Dover Bay Dolphins.