Skip to content

U18 Chaos wrap up VIPL season

Cowichan team finished second at provincials in 2017
10909029_web1_180313-CCI-M-u18-chaos
The U18 Cowichan Chaos had a successful season in the Vancouver Island Premier League. (Submitted)

In their last season together, the U18 Cowichan Chaos bowed out of the playoffs just shy of returning to the provincial championships.

After finishing second at provincials in 2017, when they also won their U18 Gold Lower Island Soccer Association league (as a U17 team), the Coastal Cup and Island championship, the Chaos moved up to the Vancouver Island Premier League this year.

Competing against regional teams, where they were the only entry representing just one single club, the Chaos finished third in the six-team U18 league, going 11-6-2, while not losing any games against Victoria-area teams.

“From that standpoint, we had an outstanding season,” Cowichan coach Brian Johnston said.

Entering the playoffs, the Chaos would have played the sixth-place team, but circumstances led to them having a bye to the second round, where they met a Nanaimo Storm team that draws players from Nanaimo, Parksville and Port Alberni. Going in missing a few players, Johnston knew his team faced an uphill battle.

“It we had all our players, we’d have about a 30 per cent chance,” he said.

Although Cowichan came on stronger in the second half of the match, Nanaimo prevailed 4-1 in the Island semifinal.

“They were focused to beat us,” Johnston said of the Nanaimo team. “They deserved it on the day. We didn’t play all that well.”

Robyn Zinkan scored the last goal for the Chaos on a feed from Emma Dewit.

“That was a nice combination to end Cowichan Valley soccer,” Johnston said.

The core of the Chaos had been together for the last seven years, with a few additions and no subtractions during that time.

“In the back of their minds, I think they were thinking it was potentially their last game,” Johnston acknowledged.

Had they beaten the Nanaimo Storm, the Chaos would have had to play the Riptide, a powerhouse team that draws from the Comox Valley, Campbell River, Port Hardy and Powell River.

Several players from the Chaos will go on to play post-secondary soccer next season: Dewit has committed to UVic and Zinkan will play for the University of Northern B.C. Hannah Tuplin, Khasi Dietrich and goalkeeper McKenna Posey are in the mix for the VIU Mariners.

“It’s nice that a number of them are going on to mix schooling with soccer,” Johnston said.