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Cowichan United punches ticket to provincial U21 tournament

Cowichan United beat the odds to qualify for the U21 soccer provincial championships.
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Cowichan United’s Herman Parmar gets in some kicks in a mini-game with Bays United after the teams’ league game was called off. (Kevin Rothbauer/Citizen)

Cowichan United beat the odds to qualify for the U21 soccer provincial championships.

Cowichan first needed Mid Isle and Castaways to win their respective George Smith Cup semifinals, which happened on March 10.

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Then, Cowichan needed to win their own league game against Bays United on Sunday afternoon. That ended up happening in the easiest way possible when Bays could only muster eight players for the match. Cowichan was awarded a 3-0 win, three points in the standings, and a berth in the provincial tournament.

“It works well for us,” Cowichan head coach Tyler Hughes said as he watched his team and the available Bays players take part in a half-field mini-game at the Sherman Road turf.

Between absences, injuries and suspensions, Cowichan had only 12 players available for the match anyway.

Cowichan will have the next month off before provincials begin, but Hughes plans to schedule scrimmages against the Div. 1 and over-35 teams — both of which are also bound for provincials — to stay in game shape.