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Powell River Villa battles to a 0-0 tie with Juan de Fuca to start second half of VISL season

Soccer team plays at home this weekend; hosting fundraiser for scholarship
Powell River Villa

Powell River Villa played a tight game to a 0-0 draw with Juan de Fuca All Flows on Saturday, November 16, at Westhills Stadium in Langford.

“We go into every game looking to get points, and we did that this game,” said Villa coach Chris McDonough. “The point from the draw keeps All Flows within a fairly close distance to us in the [Vancouver Island Soccer League] standings, and puts us one more point up on Nanaimo to stay out of the relegation zone, which is our goal for the season.”

The draw showed a good defensive effort from the team, according to McDonough.

“Our goalkeeper Matt Liknes didn’t have as many shots to handle this game, and those he did came from long range,” said McDonough. “It was a midfield battle, and there weren’t many scoring chances for either team. We pushed at the end to try to get a goal for the win, but we’re still happy with the point from the draw.”

The road game meant Villa was able to draw on players based on Vancouver Island to round out their roster.

“We permitted a couple players from the U18 Vancouver Island Wave, who worked really well with us,” said McDonough. “Karson Kroetsch also played his first game with us this season. He is a midfielder who just finished his season with the Vancouver Island University Mariners, and he was able to blend in with the team quite well. Overall, we had a great effort from everyone on the field this weekend.”

Villa’s three game away stretch comes to an end this weekend when the club returns to Timberlane Park to face Vic West FC. “Vic West is two places ahead of us in the standings, so this is an important game,” said McDonough. “When we faced them on the road in the first half of the season, we kept it close until the very end of the game, so with our regular lineup and at home in front of our fans, we’re hoping for an exciting game where we can get three points.”

Villa will also be hosting a fundraiser for the Braxton Leask and Dylan Buckle Memorial Scholarship following Saturday’s game. The second annual Burger and Beer/Silent Auction fundraiser takes place at the Powell River Soccer Centre, 5400 Timberlane Avenue, with burgers, beer and homemade salads on the menu.

Current and former Villa players will be in attendance, and tickets are $15, available at the door or in advance at Afterglow Hair Lounge, Vanderkemp Sales and Service, and City Motors.

“Braxton and Dylan played with Villa before they passed away in 2017,” said McDonough. “This scholarship will allow their legacy to live on and help other young athletes pursue post-secondary education.”

Kickoff against Vic West will be at 1:30 pm at Timberlane Park on Saturday, November 23, with the fundraiser starting at 4 pm. The weekend following, Villa heads back to Vancouver Island to face Gorge FC at Hampton Park in Victoria on Saturday, November 30.