West Van FC wins BC provincial title
May 16, 2009
First the mainland, then the province, next the nation: West Van FC is the first club to qualify for the 2009 BMO National Championships senior men’s competition. The West Vancouver, BC club won its provincial championship after an exciting 1:0 victory over defending champion Gorge FC from Victoria, BC.
West Van FC’s Robbie Giezen scored the lone goal in the 80th minute, completing a give-and-go series with teammate Milad Rahmati. Goalkeeper Marco Durante posted the clean sheet in the win.
Durante also got lucky, drawing just a yellow card for a hit in the box and then not having to save the kick from the penalty spot. Gorge FC’s Patrick Gawrys walked to the spot, but kicked the ball wide of the net.
West Van FC won the 2008-09 Vancouver Metro Soccer League title before advancing to the Provincial Cup weekend. West Van FC then won all four games in the provincial competition without conceding a goal.
Just last year, both Giezen and Rahmati - the artists of the winning goal - won a Canadian college championship with Capilano University. Giezen is a former member of Canada’s National Training Centres program. Rahmati, meanwhile, was a national U-17 player at the 2001 CONCACAF Under-17 Qualification Tournament. Giezen played for Canada’s U-18 development team.
West Van FC will be making its first trip to the BMO National Championships. The Challenge Trophy competition runs 7-12 October in Saskatoon, SK.
Article courtesy of canadasoccer.com.
Surrey United wins sixth-straight provincial title
May 11, 2009
The team has traveled to Charlottetown, PE, Calgary, AB, Halifax, NS and St. John’s, NL, bringing home one silver and three bronze medals along the way. The team has also 'traveled' to Surrey where as hosts the team won gold in the annual Jubilee Trophy competition three years ago.
Next up is a trip to Saskatoon, SK this Thanksgiving Day weekend as Surrey United takes part in its sixth-consecutive BMO National Championships. The women’s team is the first to qualify for the senior women’s club competition.
Surrey United won the Provincial A Cup with a 2:1 victory over Richmond CIU at Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam, BC. With each provincial crown, Surrey United has also won a medal at the BMO National Championships. The team holds the longest medal-string since UBC Alumni won five-straight medals from 1996 to 2000 (one gold and four silver).
Three players - Megan Blaker, Geraldine Donnelly and Kate Qually - have all been part of the six provincial titles. Donnelly, of course, is a former Canadian Player of the Year (1996) and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup participant. She was also an original member of Canada’s women’s national team back in 1986.
'We’re all still a little stunned that we won again,' said Donnelly. 'It’s all kind of surreal right now. When you consider all of the players we’ve lost over the years, six in a row is amazing.'
Along with the Provincial A Cup title, Surrey United has also won the Metro Women’s Soccer League premier championship and the league cup - the first time Surrey United has accomplished all three in the same year.
Surrey has an excellent history at the BMO National Championships. This current string has produced three bronze medals (2004, 2005, 2008), one silver medal (2007), and one Jubilee Trophy (2006). Surrey previously won a silver in 1989 and three-straight Jubilee Trophy championships from 1991 to 1993.
Article courtesy of canadasoccer.com.