Royals MSOC pushing to medal
By Davie Wong, Sports Editor
Coming into the PACWEST soccer championships, I didn’t think that the Douglas College Royals had what it took to make the CCAA National Championship, but they surprised everyone, upsetting the former champions and defeating the tournament hosts to earn their berth at the National Championships.
Drawn into group A of the Championships, the Royals were drawn as the third seed. The group consists of the ACAC’s Keyano Huskies (first seed), the OCAA’s Algonquin Thunder (second seed), the Douglas Royals, and the ACAA’s Holland Hurricane (fourth seed).
The quarter finals consists of the Royals taking on the Algonquin Thunder. The Thunder knocked out the defending CCAA Champions Humber Hawks before falling to the Durham Lords in the finals. This makes the Thunder the OCAA wildcard, but it doesn’t mean that they are any less dangerous. The Royals will have their work lined up for them, but they can surprise the Thunder early if they push hard enough.
Depending on the result, the Royals will likely either take on the Keyano Huskies if they defeat the Thunder, or the Holland Hurricanes if they don’t. The Hurricane may be the top dog in the ACAA, but the ACAA is not known for producing high quality teams.
If things go right for the Royals, defeating the Huskies will earn the Royals a chance at CCAA gold. If things go poorly for the Royals, the worst that I could see happening is them being bounced in the bronze semi-finals against a Group B team. The bronze medal is a stretch for the team, but it isn’t completely impossible, depending on how Group B plays out.
No matter how the men’s story goes, it’s been a very good year for the Royals. Having not predicted them to make Nationals, for the Royals to even be here is a highlight in itself. You can find more info at the CCAA’s official website, ccaa.ca.
