Brent Mutis
CapU Blues sports info
Back-to-back games against the defending national-champion Douglas College Royals were an instant measuring stick for the Capilano Blues and they came away with a split with each team winning on home turf.
Saturday's contest at CapU's Lillooet Park went to the Blues by a 1-0 score as Sebastian Cirotto slotted home a feed from Stefano Dal Sasso in the 50th minute for the only goal of the contest. Graydon Sherle turned away everything that came at him for the clean sheet in his Blues debut.
On Sunday at Douglas, the Blues were without veteran captain Tommy Millar as a result of a red card late in Saturday's opener. The Royals took a 1-0 advantage into half time and increased it to a three-goal lead by the 63rd minute.
Capilano staged a quick rally with goals less than a minute apart from Cirotto, finishing off rebound from a Jeremy Monn-Djasngar free kick, and rookie Kaden Routley tucking in a sharp-angle shot for his first goal in Blues colours to get the Blues within one. Douglas sealed the win with goal from a free kick late in the game to earn a split of the weekend.
"What I liked is that, with 16 new players, there were a lot of positives to build on," said Blues head coach Steve Millar. "So with basically a brand new team, we split the weekend and we showed a lot of character Sunday to pull ourselves back into it, while missing a couple of players.
"What I expect to be better is I want us to go out and get on the front foot each and every game and run at teams. Playing safe is not what we want."
The PACWEST schedule has the Blues at Langara College for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 14 with a Sunday home date, also at 2:30 p.m., against visiting Vancouver Island University.
