Reynolds’ win over Royal Bay in Colonist Cup semi a redemption
Pick any of the “R” words: Redemption, Revenge, Reynolds.
It was all that and more Tuesday at Braefoot Park.
The Reynolds Roadrunners, upset by the Royal Bay Ravens 1-0 in the Island boys’ high school Triple-A Island championship tournament last week, defeated the Ravens 1-0 in the Colonist Cup semifinals in a game that had grudge match written all over it for the Roadrunners.
The loss to the Ravens in the Island tournament denied the Roadrunners, the 2016 B.C. champions and third in the province last year, the right to advance to the 2018 B.C. tournament. The Island representatives will be Oak Bay and Royal Bay.
“This was redemption,” Reynolds head coach J.J. Atterbury said.
It is a long tradition in soccer that several Cup competitions run concurrently during a season. So while the Ravens get to play in the B.C. championship, the Roadrunners advance to the Colonist Cup final this month at Centennial Stadium.
The Colonist Cup is the Lower Island version of the FA Cup, and over the years its playdowns have featured the likes of World Cup players Ian Bridge of Vic High and George Pakos of Esquimalt and other much-capped Canadian internationals such as Brian Robinson from Vic High and Bob Bolitho of Mount View.
“We’re happy for the opportunity to play for the Colonist Cup, which has so much history behind it, in a stadium setting that draws so many family, friends and fans,” said Atterbury.
Host Oak Bay defeated the St. Michaels University School Blue Jags 3-1 in the other Colonist Cup semifinal played Tuesday. The Oak Bay versus Reynolds Colonist Cup final will be played in the last week of November with the date to be determined.
Ichio Kawabata headed in a corner kick from Leon Fujioka at 83 minutes to give the Roadrunners the win over the stubborn Ravens in their semifinal Tuesday.
“It was a close game and I got a great ball in from Leon [Fujioka],” said Kawabata.
It was a tense battle between an established program and one on the rise.
“Reynolds is probably the best team in B.C. and it’s huge for our program, and our confidence, to keep this so close for so long,” said Royal Bay head coach John Mennie.
“Our players believe in each other and play for each other.”
The Ravens are headed to the B.C. tournament for the first time in Royal Bay’s infant history. The Colwood school opened in 2015.
“The Ravens are a solid team that is very organized and will do well in the B.C tournament,” Atterbury said.
But while the Roadrunners will be on the sidelines for the provincial tournament, the Ravens will watch from the Centennial Stadium stands as Reynolds battles Oak Bay in the 2018 Colonist Cup final. Such is the way of soccer and its multiple Cup championships.