Published By: Sharie Epp (Times Colonist)
Saturday, July 18
VICTORIA, BC - Last night’s match could have been a playoff game, because as a top-notch thriller, it doesn’t get much better.
In a highlight reel of action, the Victoria Highlanders knocked off the previously undefeated Kitsap Pumas 2-1 at City Centre Stadium, in front of a loud partisan crowd of close to 2,000.
“We’ve shown we can compete, and now we’ve shown we can beat the best of them,” said Victoria forward Patrick Gawrys, who scored the game’s first goal in the ninth minute. “It was unbelievable. It doesn’t matter that we missed the playoffs, our fans came out in full force.”
Despite the obvious strength of Kitsap, the No. 1 team in the Western Conference of the Premier Development League, it was the Highlanders who had the visitors on the run for the first 20 minutes. By the time the Pumas got rolling, Gawrys had the home side up 1-0.
“I faked two of them, then cut it behind me, and had the whole net to shoot at,” Gawrys said.
Against a team that’s gone undefeated in 14 games, a 1-0 lead wasn’t likely to hold, and it didn’t. The Pumas orchestrated a two-on-one rush, and forward/midfielder Mark Conrad used his long lean body to sidestep a lone Highlander for a clear shot past Victoria goalkeeper Jose Herrera in the 28th minute.
The play whipped up and down the field from then on, with numerous crowd-inciting moments on both sides. The Highlanders had great crosses from defender Tynan Diaz, and Gawrys continued to create havoc up front.
“It’s always nice when tackles are flying around, and emotions get high,” backliner Paul Van Den Boomen said. “They’re an aggressive team, and we couldn’t not be aggressive.”
It appeared the teams would go to the break locked at 1-1, especially after Diaz made a spectacular sliding save on a ball that got behind Herrera, but Van Den Boomen went over ’keeper Dustyn Brim with a header off a corner kick from Darren Jones in the 45th minute, to put the Highlanders up 2-1.
“They goalie’s a good shot-stopper, but he’s not the biggest guy,” said the six-foot-three Van Den Boomen.
Kitsap poured on the pressure in the second half, but a red card to Stephen Phillips at the 68th minute turned the tide for Victoria. The Kitsap group was upset to see their unbeaten record blemished but enjoyed their first visit to Victoria nonetheless.
“This is a great facility and the atmosphere is fantastic,” Kitsap executive director Ben Pecora said. “This is probably the most raucous crowd we’ve ever seen.”
