Brent Mutis
CapU sports info
A collection of newly assembled talent - 16 new faces in all - Capilano Blues men's soccer was tasked with taking on two of the top teams in the PACWEST on opening weekend and came away with a point after a loss to the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners and a tie with the Langara College Falcons.
In Sunday's action at Langara, the Falcons maintained the bulk of possession on the day but the game was scoreless at half. Just minutes into the second, reigning PACWEST player of the year Taku Ota blasted a shot that was initially stopped by Blues keeper Brandon Lecce, but David Rodriguez Zegarra was opportunistic on the rebound and put it away to move Langara into the lead.
The following five minutes were probably Capilano's most dangerous on the day as Tommy Millar was denied on a volley by Falcons keeper Blake Charlesworth who tipped the ball over the bar. Millar was involved again moments later when he delivered a beautiful cross that was headed off the post by Riley Marshall. Capilano would only draw even after some sloppy play by the Falcons in their own end that enabled Sebastian Cirotto to find Adam Majuerae in the area with the ball going into the net off the foot of a backtracking Langara defender.
Lecce took care of things from there in the Blues net, shutting the door and turning away several chances in tight to preserve the point.
On Saturday, Capilano opened the season in the familiar environs and natural grass surface of Lillooet Park at CapU against VIU, the defending conference champions, and played even with the Mariners through the first 30 minutes before conceding on a quick counterstrike by the visitors, finished by Marcus Cramb.
In the second half, the Blues' Andrew Cerqueira nearly tied the game with a blast from distance that beat the keeper but hammered off the post. CapU hung around into the 71st minute when a long strike from Cirotto nearly evened the score but rattled off the post instead. In the ensuing scramble in the Mariners crease, Blues forward Millar was pushed down pursuing the rebound and CapU was awarded a penalty kick. Luca Dal Sasso was tapped to step up to the spot and the third-year Blues defender - back after a year away at SFU - buried it to the right side to level the match.
The 1-1 score was short lived however, as a Blues turnover off a throw-in within their own end allowed 2022 PACWEST tournament MVP Billy Bagiopoulos to belt a left-foot shot off the post and in to give the Mariners a lead they'd hang on to.
Up next for the Blues is a pair of games against the Douglas College Royals. CapU hosts the Royals in a 3:30 kickoff Saturday, Sept. 16 at Lillooet Park and travels to Douglas the following day for a 2:30 start at Coquitlam's Cunnings Field.
