Pac West News

As the only team at the tournament to win two games, the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners got the one that counted most Sunday evening with a 2-0 triumph over the No. 1-seed Langara College Falcons to claim their first PACWEST title in 11 years. The win puts VIU into the CCAA National Championships on a high note. Both teams in Sunday's final were already qualified for nationals as Langara is the tournament host so the PACWEST conference had two automatic berths. On Sunday, the Mariners got their scoring done early in each half. Coming off his two-goal game Saturday against Douglas College, Billy Bagiopoulos' marker in the ninth minute opened the scoring against Langara. In minute 57 of the second half, big VIU fullback Matthew Coburn got on the business end of a free kick by Juan Rubiano and volleyed it home to make for the 2-0 final score. In an odd twist, VIU was forced to use midfielder Michael Heppelle as a goalkeeper with the team's other two keepers sidelined with injury. Heppelle came on in relief of an injured Kevin Picard Saturday and completed the clean sheet before posting another on Sunday. He was name the tournament's Top Goalkeeper. Bagiopoulos was named Top Forward and Tournament MVP while Langara's David Rodriguez Zegarra and Noah Holmes took Top Midfielder and Top Defender respectively.

The Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners are champions of PACWEST women's soccer after a 5-1 victory over the Douglas College Royals on a damp Sunday afternoon. Jade Dillabough scored twice for VIU and was supported by Shea Battie, Kate Reynolds and Saki Meshida who each had singles. A scoreless game broke open late in the first half when Reynolds and Dillabough struck in quick succession, just 55 seconds apart, to put VIU up a pair. Douglas replied just over a minute later though when Alicia Skirzyk tallied with less than a minute to go until halftime.

Early in the second half, VIU made the statement there would be no comeback for the Royals as Battie scored to restore the Mariners' two-goal lead. VIU maintained their lead until late in the game when Douglas pushed forward and conceded Dillabough's second of the game plus Meshida's tally. VIU qualifies for the CCAA National Championships happening Nov. 9 to 12 at Champlain College Saint-Lambert just outside Montreal.

Dillabough was named Player of the Game for VIU as well as the Tournament MVP. Reynolds (Top Forward) and Melanie Osborne (Top Goalkeeper) also took home hardware for the Mariners. Hannah Delacruz was named the tournament's Top Defender for Douglas while Royals All-Star Kya Cleto was named Top Midfielder.