The Quest University Kermodes men's soccer team may not have any wins to show for after their two-game home stand on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 8 and 9), but head coach Jonas Worth said overall it was a good step forward for the club.
Quest tied the Capilano University Blues 2-2 on Saturday and followed that with a scoreless draw against the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners, who are ranked second in the country.
"I rang the fire alarm before the game and told the boys that while they might be attractive to watch, we need to develop almost a hockey-like mentality out there," Worth said. "We need to fight for the ball more and I think the boys really stepped up."
Quest had several chances to pull ahead on Sunday, with the most notable being a Kevin Berna header that went wide after a Mawuena Mallet shot rang off the cross bar. The Mariners also had their opportunities but were consistently stymied by Kermodes goalkeeper Lucas Menz, who played a strong game in goal.
"Lucas is always good for at least two major game-saving stops," Worth said. "He's pro quality and is as good as it gets in this province. He's really the complete package back there."
It was a bit of a different story for the women, who played Capilano to a 1-1 draw on Saturday and then lost to VIU 1-0 on Sunday. It's a step back for the team, who were ranked 11th in the country last week.
Injuries seem to be slowing the team down as forwards Anika Nystrom and Tanner Batchelor both had to sit out Sunday's game with injuries, but the even bigger problem is in goal. Starting goalkeeper Tiana Gilchrist, who had been undefeated in the team's first four games, also went down with an injury and without a backup goalkeeper, the Kermodes were forced to use forward Jamey Horth between the pipes.
"I've only played four games so far and it's the first time in a while I've played goalie," Horth said. "I've gone to three goaltending clinics to help me out but I think everyone is overexerting themselves trying to cover up for me out there."
Horth said it's particularly frustrating because with Nystrom and Batchelor out with injuries, she thinks she could help score goals at her natural position.
"Ideally I'd like to go back to forward and try to score some goals," she said.
While Horth has only allowed four goals in the four games she's played, the offence for the Kermodes has dried up. As a result of the injuries at forward, the team has only managed to score twice in the past four games.
The Kermode women's team now sits two points behind the second-place Langara Falcons, with the Kwantlen Eagles nipping at their heels and only one point back. Their record stands at an impressive five wins, two losses and one draw.
The men remain in fourth place after the weekend's action, with a record of one win, three losses and three draws. They sit two points behind Langara for the final playoff position of Group A, with one game in hand.
Both teams will travel to the interior this weekend for a pair of games that could be critical for playoff positioning. The teams will take on the University of British ColumbiaOkanagan Heat on Saturday (Oct. 15), followed by a date with the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack on Sunday (Oct. 16).
For more information on Quest athletics, visit www.questkermodes.ca.
