Douglas Royals start new season with win
By Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor
The Douglas College men’s and women’s soccer teams are off to a good start with solid opening games at their home field in Coquitlam. Facing off against the Langara Falcons, the Royals took a win and a tie on September 3, along with a few minor injuries.
The women gave their all in the game in hopes of winning an opener for the first time in three years. With skilled plays and lots of time spent with the ball near the Falcons’ net, the team delivered some fierce offence, strong defence, and a couple of goals. They won 2-1.
“We’re really happy with our result, considering last year we only had two wins,” said team captain Tiffany O’Krane. “Starting this season off with a win is a really good step for us.”
The team had been practising for four and a half weeks in preparation for the season, getting used to new members of the team and sharpening plays, so winning the opener shows a lot of promise for them.
“We have one goal this year: to get to Nationals,” O’Krane said. “We’re taking it game by game. We’re definitely applying everything we’ve been working on.”
While the players did their best in the game, there were still a few scrapes, falls, and fouls on both sides.
“We had a few calf cramps—nothing too major,” O’Krane said. “There are a few scratches on people’s faces, but we battled through a lot today and we toughed it out.”
The men’s team opened with a 2-2 tie as both teams adjusted to the new season with some first-year players.
“The first 15 minutes were not that great,” said goalkeeper Ricky Gil. “We picked up afterwards and got some speed going.”
The team soon brought an aggressive game to the field as they began to find themselves.
Now the team’s goal is to practice for the upcoming games and ultimately shoot for a championship.
“The team is actually gelling really well. We have a good group of guys,” said Dorian Colopisis. “We have a lot of good tools that could come together in the end and bring a championship home.”
