Royals WSOC do the improbable
By Davie Wong, Sports Editor
The Royals women’s soccer team has done with unthinkable; or rather the lightly spoken of. Very rarely does a team become so dominant that they are at the top of the league for years at a time. For three years in a row, the Douglas College Royals have finished at the top of the PACWEST league. This year, their record of 7-3-2 and 23 points have earned them the self-proclaimed title of “Best Regular Season Record.” But before that was true, the Royals needed to defeat a season rival, one more time.
The Capilano Blues stood in the way of the Royals’ achievement. A loss from the Royals would leave them at second, but a win would net them everything. The game’s stakes, which were massive, got the best from both teams. The Royals got the ball rolling early, at the expense of a Capilano player. The ball, sent towards the net, would bounce off a Blue and into the net for a 1-0 lead at the six minute mark.
The Royals would have a couple more tries in the half, but could not convert on an aware Blue’s keeper. However, a goaltending change at the halftime mark was all the Royals needed. Fresh in net and hardly warmed up, the Royals took advantage of the new keeper, putting a second goal into the net—albeit off of the foot of a Capilano defender. 2-0 Royals.
From there, the Royals suffocated the Blues with their lead. The Blues would grab a third goal when Jaime Petersen beat an outstretched Alexa Gazzola, however it was their first in the right net. With 10 minutes remaining, the Royals parked the bus and awaited the final whistle which tied up their league win.
After seven weeks of play and 12 games, the Royals finished a respectable 7-3-2. Sam Kell would finish top goal scorer with 8 goals, and Alexa Gazzola would finish second best in GA90 with 1.00 goals against 90 minutes. The team takes on the VIU Mariners next week at the PACWEST Championships as they battle to determine who will head to Nationals.
