CapU Blues sports info
A pair of goals in quick succession by the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) Blazers proved the difference as the Manitoba side defeated the Capilano Blues in the final game for both teams a the 2025 CCAA National Championship.
CMU opened the scoring in the 13th minute after a corner kick arrived in the area and fell at the foot of Taiwo Oshode who made no mistake.
The Blazers increased their lead to two less than 30 seconds later when a CMU disrupted a run by Capilano's Marcos Navarro and quickly counterattacked, Messager Mumbere heading the ball to Mahamat Khamis whose slant towards the Blues area was halted by Callan Wevers but the ball sat for Tristen Holfeld who first-timed it home.
Coming out of halftime down a pair, Blues head coach Steve Millar inserted the bulk of his younger players, ensuring all got minutes at the CCAA tournament. The move injected some life and Campbell Grimston made the most of his opportunity, getting the Blues up the field early in the second half and then capitalizing when a Tate Davidson cross was touched to him by Josh Esmaeli Ranjbar and the big left-footer buried it.
Grimston quickly retrieved the ball from the back of the net, realizing the Blues needed all the time they could get to equalize, and needed to wrestle the ball from CMU keeper Nicholas Peterson to bring it back to midfield. CapU remained a goal down until they caught another bad break on an own goal as Davidson was marking a CMU attacker headed to the Blues goal area to receive a cross in the 74th minute. The cross went off Davidson and into the Blues goal, their second own goal of the tournament.
It proved to be the game-winner as Capilano captain Tommy Millar scored shortly after, taking a Grimston feed and going just under the bar for his second of the tournament and third of the Blues postseason.
Grimston was named Player of the Game for Capilano.
It was the first appearance at CCAA Nationals for Blues men's soccer since 2018 and hopefully a good learning experience for a young team planning on returning in the near future.
