Gaels breeze to county championship
Senior boys, WCI girls weather winds for wins
WATERLOO — Eajaz Karimi relied on his brains and boot.
The Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute forward played the odds by parking himself on the edge of the crease while a teammate delivered a corner kick as a wicked wind wreaked havoc during the Waterloo County senior boys’ soccer final.
“You have to play smart,” he said, when battling the elements. His hunch paid off. The ball bounced to his foot and the Grade 11 student deposited the winning goal early in Cameron’s 3-0 victory against Bluevale Collegiate Institute on Thursday afternoon at RIM Park.
A severe thunderstorm pegged for Waterloo Region caused the cancellation of the District 8 soccer finale, but the public board decided to take its chances and play on.
The rain and lightning never touched down — during the game — but in its place was a wind like the Wizard of Oz, which made the match unpredictable.
Send the ball against the wind and it would blow back toward the kicker. Boot the ball into the wind and it would sail twice its normal distance.
“It was brutal,” said Gaels keeper Damian Kruschat. “I never knew where the ball was going. I had to rely on my reflexes.”
As it turned out, Cameron Heights breezed to victory.
Second-half goals by Ethan Williams and Brandon Pereira gave the Golden Gaels a comfortable lead over a younger Bluevale squad.
“We just persevered,” said Karimi. “Even though we missed chances we just kept on going.”
The victory gave the Golden Gaels their first senior soccer crown in four years. And Karimi hopes it will lead to bigger things. “It means a lot,” he said. “We’ve been on a mission from the beginning and we’re halfway there.”
The other half includes wins at the Central Western Ontario and provincial finals. Both Cameron and Bluevale have qualified for the regionals, which run next Tuesday and Thursday at Kitchener’s Woodside Park.
“You have to give Cameron credit, they are a talented team,” said Bluevale coach Ike Husain. “They move the ball so quickly and know how to play. It’s like they have been playing together for years.”
The fourth-place Knights went 2-1-1 in regular season action and upended Waterloo Collegiate Institute and Eastwood Collegiate Institute to reach the championship game. “This is probably one of my best years in terms of having fun with the group,” said Husain. “We put something together that was a little bit magical and that magic ran out today.”
Waterloo Collegiate Institute spoiled Cameron Heights’ bid for a clean sweep by blanking the Golden Gaels, 1-0, in the girls’ soccer final, which ran concurrently at RIM Park Thursday.
Ana Sebbane scored for the Vikings, while keeper Victoria Giguere picked up the shutout.