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Whitecaps Prospects drop Victoria PCSL openers
May 12, 2008
Whitecaps player Mikyla Kay makes a challenge for the ball,
as Prospects teammate Natalie Boyd looks on during
Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Victoria Stars.
Victoria Stars 3-1 Whitecaps Prospects Women
The Whitecaps Women Prospects dropped their PCSL season opener,
suffering a 3-1 defeat away to the Victoria Stars.
The Whitecaps started strong, and took the game to Victoria from
the outset, but it was the hosts who found the net first. On 15
minutes, Victoria's Kate Hambleton found space on the right and
looped a long-range effort over goalkeeper Shimone Slomowitz and
into the top corner of the net for a 1-0 halftime lead.
The Stars doubled their lead early in the second half, as Jackie
Snell had an easy tap-in in front of goal on 48 minutes after
some nice approach play. Eight minutes later and Victoria had a
3-0 lead, as Liz Hansen's 23-yard free kick curled around the
wall and went in off the far post.
The young Whitecaps didn't give up though, and finally got a
well-deserved goal on 65 minutes, as Alicia Tesan forced the
ball over the line in a scramble, following a corner kick from
Kelly Cook. The Whitecaps continued to apply pressure, looking
to cut the lead even further, but some strong play from Victoria
goalkeeper Corey Gros kept the score at 3-1.
Whitecaps Prospects Women - starting line-up v Victoria Stars
Shimone Slomowitz; Brie Shaw, Kelly Cook, Mikyla Kay, Alicia
Tesan; Tessa Meyer, Natalie Boyd, Janine Frazao, Chelsea
Buckland; Lauren Hamson, Nikki Wright
Saturday proved to be a tough day the Vancouver Whitecaps
Prospects teams after they suffered season-opening defeats in
the Pacific Coast Soccer League in Victoria.
The Prospect Men fell to a 2-0 defeat against last season's PCSL
champions Victoria United at Royal Athletic Park, while the
Prospect Women dropped a 3-1 result to Victoria Stars at Hampton
Park.
Victoria United 2-0 Whitecaps Prospects Men
The Whitecaps Prospects Men opened their 2008 PCSL season with a
difficult match away trip to perennial league powerhouse
Victoria United, and despite a strong performance, Bart
Choufour's side finished on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline.
This was always going to be a challenging match for the young
Whitecaps, playing against an experienced and physically
imposing United team. And with several of his U-18 players
injured, Choufour had to call upon some of U-17 additions for
Saturday.
The Whitecaps rose to the challenge however, and play throughout
the game was fairly even. Both teams had their chances, but
Victoria looked the more dangerous side, and took a 1-0 lead
with a goal in the 23rd minute through Mathew Northrup. United
were controlling play in the midfield while also using the long
ball game to good effect, with their tall powerful strikers
being natural targets. But the Whitecaps had their share of
possession as well.
In the second half, the Caps switched to a 3-5-2 formation to
try and regain control of the midfield. It worked, but at the
cost of greater vulnerability at the back. It remained 1-0,
however, and with the Whitecaps enjoying more possession, and
Victoria running out of steam as the game went on, the Prospects
pressed for the equalizer.
With six minutes remaining, however, Victoria struck on the
counter-attack. A long ball into the box went to Whitecaps
goalkeeper Michael Branion-Calles, but he was flattened by a
strong challenge in the air from a Victoria forward. No foul was
given, and play continued even though the Whitecaps keeper was
down and out and in need of medical attention. A Victoria shot
on goal was blocked on the line by the hand of a Whitecaps
defender, and when Branion-Calles was finally seen to and
regained his senses, he had to get up and face a penalty kick,
that was converted by United's Steven Gateley.
The Prospects Men's next match is Tuesday night against
Vancouver Thunderbirds at UBC's Todd Field.
Whitecaps Prospects Men - starting line-up v Victoria United
Michael Branion-Calles; Lawrence Buchan, Ben Leggett, Branden
McLean, Flo Liu; Milad Mehrabi, Dave Adams, Nat Blaiklock, Riley
Newport; Ian Clark, Gavin Barrett
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