Victoria Highlanders FC News Release -- www.victoriahighlandersfc.com
Sunday, April 27, 2014
PORT ANGELES, Wash. – The Victoria Highlanders travelled to Port Angeles, Wash. on Saturday to compete in the 2014 Rumble in the Rainforest, hosted by Peninsula College. The first game of the day ended in a 2-0 loss to the University of Washington while the offense clicked in a 5-2 victory over Oregon IPS.
Returning Highlander Elliot Mitrou made the start in net in both games, with Brandon Watson providing relief in the second half of the opening match. Goals in the 5-2 victory came from recent signings Carlo Basso and Ian Greedy, who finished with three and two goals, respectively.
Saturday’s opening match saw the Highlanders attempting to find their rhythm as they fell victim to several turnovers that allowed the Huskies side to continually regain possession. The Highlanders began to settle play before UW’s Darwin Jones put his side up 1-0 at the 20-minute-mark of the half.
Minutes later, Victoria’s Blair Sturrock received a long ball in the attacking zone, pushing inside the 18-yard box before firing it just right of the net. Teammate Cam Hundal followed up Sturrocks chance with a promising rush of his own, blowing past Washington defender Andy Thoma before eventually being taken off the ball. Hundal would later find teammate Basso inside six yards of the goal, but the six-foot-four striker was unable to put a finishing touch on his first opportunity of the day.
The second half of play saw increased possession and pressure by the Highlanders, who played the ball neatly around the attacking zone, yet strong defense by the Huskies prevented any major chances directly on net.
Perhaps the best opportunity to tie the match came off the foot of Greedy in the 80th minute of play—a hard blast on goal that was swallowed up by the Washington ‘keeper.
A miscue in the Highlanders defensive zone in the dying minutes of the second half resulted in the Huskies second goal of the game, a lead they would hold through to the final whistle.
“We knew UW was going to bring their best team today,” said Highlanders head coach Steve Simonson. “They are a very good team, they are strong and fit and we dropped a goal early and we had to fight back. I thought we found some cohesion as the game went on. The first goal of that game was to get some cohesion against a good team and I think we started to find our feet.”
Just under two hours later, Victoria returned to the pitch for their second match of the day in a 60-minute tilt against Oregon IPS. Two big saves from Mitrou in the opening ten minutes of play kept the game scoreless before Basso would net his first of the day, finishing a cross-pass from recent signing Dominic Colontonio with a header to the back of the net. Minutes later, Basso would again receive the ball inside the box, firing a blast to the back of the net to give the Highlanders a two-goal cushion.
Oregon would cut the lead in half off a penalty kick, but they could not stop the Highlanders attack, as Greedy netted his first of the game off an Adam Ravenhill cross to restore the two-goal lead. Basso and Greedy would both find the back of the net again as the Highlanders rolled to a 5-2 victory to close out their day.
“The second game was a different look and different message,” added Simonson. “The first game we asked them to figure out the passing shapes, we didn’t really create any attack. The second game I said lets go for it and really try to stress the back four and get in behind and it was a completely different outcome in terms of goals and goal chances.”
The Highlanders Youth Academy was also out in full force, competing in several of their own matches at Peninsula College while also attending and supporting the men’s first team in their opening match of the day.
The Highlanders begin their quest towards their first PDL championship in one week, May 4 against the Vancouver Whitecaps U-23 at Royal Athletic Park. For more information on the Highlanders organization, please visit www.victoriahighlandersfc.com.