Brent Mutis
CapU Blues sports info
The sting is still fresh, but in the final analysis the 2024 campaign remains a step forward but the Capilano Blues men’s soccer program.
The Blues, the No. 2 seed at the PACWEST provincials hosted by Langara College at Willoughby Stadium in Langley, were defeated in the tournament semifinals by the No. 3-seed Douglas College Royals by a 3-0 score on Saturday afternoon.
Douglas entered the season as the defending CCAA national champion but only just qualified for the PACWEST provincials with a win on the final day of the regular season. Whatever big-game experience they retained from winning it all last year showed through on Saturday as they scored the eventual game-winning goal in the first minute of the second half and added two more to seal the deal.
CapU’s best look at the net came midway through the first half when Sebastian Cirotto struck a drive from well outside the 18-yar-box but forced Douglas keeper Matthew Miller to make a diving stop. The ensuing Blues corner from Tommy Millar went right on goal but Miller punched it away.
Half a minute into the second half, Douglas got the only goal they’d need. A long ball hoofed across the field by Avi Alemu eluded Capilano’s Luca Dal Sasso and LJ Milfrise corralled it and placed a shot low inside the right post.
Luciano Keramen and Sepher Irvani added goals after that to secure the three-goal win.
Douglas went on to the gold-medal match against top-seeded tournament host Langara but couldn’t quite pull off another upset. They pushed the Falcons past 90 minutes with a header goal off a throw in during the final seconds of injury time. The game was decided by penalty kicks with Langara taking the showdown 4-3, when Falcons keeper and eventual tournament Top Keeper Adriel Agcaoili stopped the final Royals shooter.
The PACWEST had just one berth to nationals this season meaning the just the gold-medal team gets to go. Langara will be off to Fredericton, N.B. to play in the CCAA tournament Nov. 6 to 9 at St. Thomas University.
For the Blues just one player graduates out of the program in Jeremy Monn-Djasngar but everyone else is eligible to be part of the 2025 season.
