SPORTS. Know the score? Contact the editor at sports@theotherpress.ca Go fish Mens soccer falls short against the Mariners Eric ( Wilkins Sports Editor j spots@theohepess.a ith a host of Douglas College athletes in attendance, Cunnings Field was full of fan support for the men’s last soccer game of the year. The dreary weather was not stopping the hopeful fans and Royals from sending a message to the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners. “T have never seen so many fans at a game. Most of us athletes wanted to support the team on their last game,” explained women’s basketball player, Simran Bir. As the crowd remained cheerful, the Royals slowly slipped away on the score- board. VIU was controlling the entire first half, as Douglas committed several fouls in their midfield. The energy was dwindling on the field and the score showed it. At half-time, the score was 3-0, and it was smooth sailing to a victory for the Mariners. A second-place seed was slipping away from the young Douglas team. At the end of half- time, the Royals came out with new energy. The majority of the second half was a back and forth rally, one unsuccessful chance after another, with both goalies doing a great job of stuffing the other team. But ultimately, as the game neared the end, the Mariners showed no signs of slowing down. The Royals held them to one goal, but were unable to find the back of the net themselves. Final score, 4-0. “We played very poorly, nothing like the Douglas standards we know we should have played. I really appreciate the teams for coming out and watching us although we did not showcase our talents like we should have,” said Ilias Bocolas. Ending the season 8-2-4, the Royals finished just one game shy of second place. Coming into the season, the team was very confident about the chances of winning Provincials and moving on to Nationals. That possibility still exists; itl] just be a harder road now. The Provincials start Saturday October 26. Captain and fifth year Mohammad Ali reminded the players not to take their oppor- tunities for granted: “Today’s game was definitely one to forget. Moving forward we are very confident going into the Provincials. We need our top senior players like Javid [Khan], Sahil [Sandhu], Devin [Phelan], Marc [Mincieli], and [Raaqim Amijee] to carry this young team. If they show up to play, there is no doubt that we will book a ticket to the Provincial Final and also a berth at the National Final in Halifax.” Photo courtesy of Maria Fernanda Torres Royal send-off Final game of the season for womens soccer Courtnie Martin Sports Reporter ‘Ox paper, it’s been a rough year for the women’s soccer team. Heading into their final game on Sunday October 20, they were sporting a 1-12 record. Generally speaking, such a dis- mal showing on the scoresheet indicates a lack of effort on the pitch, but not so for this squad: they’ve been in most every game this year, leaving it all out on the pitch. Solid showings all over. The one problem, however, was sticking it in the back of the net. On Sunday afternoon, they 20 finally showed just what they were capable of. In a big way. It was a chilly afternoon when the Royals took to the field against the visiting Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners. The team was clearly prepared to finish on a high note, breaking from their pre-game huddle with great enthusiasm and a strong sense of camaraderie that only a true team can display. And so, with a small throng of Douglas sup- porters set up on the far sideline providing support (along with the ever-popular sound of vuvu- zelas), the match kicked off. The game got off to an unfortunate start when a defensive miscue led to an empty net for the Mariners’ Jessie Weninger to fire at eight minutes into the game, but the Royals had other plans for how the game was to play out. Not long after the 20-minute mark, Hayley Melvin unleashed a shot that saw a deflection off a defender before finding the goal. A minute later, Miyoko McKeown gave Douglas a lead they would never relinquish when she curled a beautiful ball off the inside of the left post. In the 36th minute, Melvin added to her tally with another strong strike. The teams headed into half with the hosts up 3-1. The Royals began the second half in similar fashion to how they ended the first. Hard pressure from Melvin forced a turnover at the top of the box—a turnover Mia Rushton was only too happy to convert: 4-1 Douglas. McKeown then potted her second of the afternoon with a strike from inside the box that the keeper couldn’t quite get enough of. To finish the scoring for the Royals, Nicolle Fraser sent a gorgeous ball to the far post just over the keeper. Desperate to claw back into the game, VIU would score one in the 38th minute, but it was too little, too late. Final score 6-2 for Douglas. “You're only as good as your last game... and our last game was a 6-2 win,” commented Coach Ciaran McMahon. “Unfortunately it took until the last game [for us to dominate], but that was our goal all season. We're all very, very happy about it,” said Melvin. “It was great for Mia and Sam as well.” The game was more than just the end of the season for two players, though, as Melvin alluded to. For Sam Stackhouse and Mia Rushton, it was the end of the road for their careers as Royals. The team had a short tribute after the game with Ashley Dunn delivering the line, “Forever a teammate. Forever a friend. Forever a Royal.” “Five years and she finished off today with a goal, that’s just quality for her,” said McMahon on his captain, Rushton. “Amazing,” managed Rushton, describing her feelings about her final game. As to what she was going to miss most, Rushton simply motioned towards her coaches and team- mates. No words necessary. They may have only won two games this year, but statis- tics only tell half the story. These Royals are clearly winners.