The Kwalikum Kondors senior boys soccer team look to ride their momentum into Victoria for the Island Championships that kicked off Monday.
Last week, the Kondors captured the North Island championship, beating the Gulf Island Scorpions 2-0 in the final. The Kondors didn’t allow a single goal in the tournament’s four games. Keeper Nolin Fong saw action in all four, making key saves and maintaining a clean sheet.
“It’s great to see it happen,” head coach Butch Gayton said. “We’re very happy the way our defense played that whole tournament. Then to know that when we had breakdowns on defense, Nolin was there to make sure that nothing got by the last line for us. He’s been tremendous when called upon all season long for us and showed it once again through those four games.”
Daniel Doukakis and Tony Trozzo scored both goals for the Kondors in the final game against the Scorpions, leading the way on offense for KSS. Both factored in the scoring in each game in the North Island tournament.
“They’ve been consistent for us offensively,” Gayton said. “We usually don’t go a game without seeing one of them on the score sheet, if not both of them. It’s nice to know that’s something that you can count on every game and we’re hoping they can keep it up. We’ve been playing very well together as a unit and having a guy like Daniel, who’s got such a nose for the net, it makes it that much easier to be able to go ahead and put a little something extra on it when trying to put one past the other team.”
The Kondors headed to Victoria Sunday in advance of their opening game against Brentwood College, 11 a.m. Monday (no score at press time). Game two for the Kondors is against the Isfeld Ice (Comox) who they beat 3-0 in the first game of the North Islands. KSS then plays Royal Bay Secondary (Victoria) in their third and final pool play game.
With three teams from the Island tournament advancing to the provincials, the Kondors want to win their pool and advance to the final, ensuring a provincial birth.
“That would be the best scenario,” Gayton said. “We’re aware that it’s not going to be easy and we’re going to have to work hard and keep up our play to have a chance. Everything ramps up as you continue along on the march to provincials.”
“The road gets tougher and tougher and winning our pool would be the easiest and smoothest path there. That being said, we’re going up against some tough competition and it’s not going to be a cakewalk. These teams are all here because they’ve been good enough to have a crack at provincials, so we’re going to have to make it happen.”