Heading into the new year, Powell River Villa soccer club is hoping to repeat the form they displayed to open the season, to climb the Vancouver Island Soccer League (VISL) standings.
Team manager Chris McDonough said the season, so far, has featured ups and downs.
“We started off really well and then just ran into some injury trouble, and just missing some guys in general,” said McDonough. “We’ve struggled a little bit here and there, but we’ve got five games to go and a couple of these are at home.
“We feel like our team has gotten better over the year. We’ve got a young team that’s improving day by day. So, I believe, it’s looking good going into our next five games. We’ve got a good stretch ahead and the break over the holidays helps us as well. The guys have come back recharged and ready to go.”
McDonough said Villa had a tough stretch in mid-November, with three consecutive games on the road.
“We played well but we just could quite find a way to win games and finish things off at the end,” said McDonough. “There are things we are working on and correcting, hopefully, going into the new year.
“We’ve had a lot of close games, losing by a goal here or there, or even ties, which we could have won. We are looking for consistency and bringing 90-minute full efforts. We want to play mistake-free soccer for the remainder of the schedule. A lot of our games have come down to one mistake.”
McDonough said the Villa’s players are enthusiastic, with really good numbers turning out for training this year.
“We have a big squad and everyone’s motivated,” said McDonough. “We just have to put together that final piece on the field.”
With the good turnout, McDonough said there is healthy competition on the team, and everyone’s pushing each other to improve.
“So, I think the vibes are good,” said McDonough. “We have some games in hand on the next team above us, so we’re right into avoiding relegation. Every point is important to us.”
In the VISL Division 1 standings, Nanaimo United are four points ahead of Villa, with Nanaimo in ninth and Villa in 10th spot.
Villa will next be facing Cowichan Axis at Timberlane on January 18, and McDonough is hoping that the great fan support for Villa will continue going into the resumed season.
In addition to league play, the draw for the Jackson Cup will be made on January 14.
“We’ll be watching to see who we draw and how that works out,” said McDonough. “It’s always exciting playing in the Jackson Cup. The top two divisions in the VISL compete, so we’ll be one of 20 teams. Selection is totally random, so we’ll see how we do. Hopefully, we’ll get some home games, which would be great.
McDonough expects the season to go until late March, or even later if Villa advances in the Jackson Cup. He said the schedule could also draw out a little longer if there are game cancellations due to weather.
“We should get at least six games with the Jackson Cup, so it will be good to get the fans out to support us until the end of the season,” said McDonough. “We need the push.”
Join the Peak's email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.
