The Jackson Cup tournament has seen a lot over its previous 103 editions. Its pitches have been graced by World Cup players George Pakos, Jamie Lowery, Ian Bridge and other highly capped Canadian internationals such as Bob Bolitho, Brian Robinson and Ike MacKay.
What the Vancouver Island Soccer League’s annual knockout competition hasn’t seen before is a championship game featuring Westcastle United. The upstart club, founded on the West Shore by Steve Hodges, makes its maiden appearance in the final today against Bays United at 2:30 p.m. at Royal Athletic Park.
“We’re a very young group, but we have tempo and speed,” said Westcastle United head coach Thomas Niendorf.
That’s because they are the top players from Niendorf’s Pacific Elite Soccer Institute, an academy program that has come under the Westcastle umbrella to play against the men in the VISL.
And play well.
“We have shown we deserve to be in the final and have conceded no goals during Cup play, while offensively, we are an attack-minded group,” Niendorf said.
“We finished second in the league [behind Cowichan FC] and now our goal is to finish first in the Jackson Cup competition,” said the Berlin native, whose extensive connections have paved the way for Canadians such as Owen Hargreaves to play professionally in Germany.
“But it’s a matter of execution.”
Bays United, the 2013 Jackson Cup champion, is making its fifth appearance in the final in coach Rich Fast’s 25-year association with the club.
“This will now be four Cup finals for me as coach, and once as a player, so I don’t have the greatest record in the championship game,” Fast said, with a chuckle.
“But we did get to lift it in 2013. That’s also the year the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, so that was a very good year for me.”
Fast knows it won’t be easy hoisting his second Jackson Cup. Westcastle won both meetings this year by identical 3-0 scorelines against the Bays.
“Westcastle beat us twice this season and finished well ahead of us in the standings,” Fast said.
“We are the underdogs against a team that has pace, skill and fitness. These are academy kids who dream of going on to play pro soccer. Some of these Westcastle players weren’t even born when I played my first game in the VISL.”
Several of the Westcastle United players will be on the Niendorf-coached Victoria Highlanders this summer in the USL-2.
“Beyond that, the [pro] Canadian Premier League would be a good goal for some of our players to shoot for,” Niendorf said.
Perhaps even Major League Soccer or Europe for the very top performers.
Yet, Westcastle remains wary of the older, but cagier Bays players, who have been through the soccer wars. Justin Donaldson, who plays in U Sports for Thompson Rivers University, has been a standout this season for Bays. Ryan Ashlee played U Sports for St. Francis Xavier and Alex Redpath is a past captain of the University of Victoria Vikes. Bays striker Paddy Nelson again won the VISL Golden Boot as leading scorer with 15 goals.
“Paddy didn’t get his normal 30 goals, but he is still a threat to score every time he touches the ball,” Fast said.
And Westcastle knows it.
“Bays United is a very experienced team and there is a reason it is in the Cup final,” Niendorf said.
“Games are decided in the penalty area and we have to play tight on Nelson. You need some luck in a Cup final and you need to win the critical moments.”
Today’s action at RAP starts at noon with the VISL Masters-A Tony Grover Cup championship game between Gorge FC and the Cowichan 49ers.
The championship weekend began Saturday. Gorge Us Guys beat first-time finalist Hellas FC 3-2 in the George Pearkes Challenge Cup final for VISL Divisions 3-4.
Saturday also saw the VISL U-21 George Smith Cup final between the always-contending Mid Isle Mariners and finalist debutantes Castaways FC. The Mariners won 3-1.
CORNER KICKS: The 104th Jackson Cup final will be officiated today by Carly Shaw-MacLaren, the first female referee to do so, and who dreams of bigger things internationally with FIFA.
