The men's soccer league teams at Ted Dixon Field held a pre-game memorial last Sunday to honor the passing of Barry Johnson, an accomplished, long-time fixture in Coast soccer who at one point played within the Whitecaps organization.
During his 25 years of men's league matches, it seemed no amount of trash talking or shin hacking could take the smile off his face. Most games he couldn't tell you the score, and played for the best reason possible, because he loved the game.
"He was the Scotty Johnson of his day," said one sideliner.
When the action started on the field the Ridgepoint Bruins battled the Sechelt Chiefs to a 1-1 draw at half-time as there was nothing crummy about Mike "Cookie" Husband's crossbar-notching, long-range ripper.
The Chiefs pulled through in the second half for a 4-1 win with two goals by Tyler Jackson, and singles by Scotty Johnson and John Jackson.
Ken Campbell and Kurt Vernon put CPU up on Xenichen Wolves, but in the second half "Dynamite" Danny Muir appeared dancing through the midfield to lay one off to Rich Watson who hit a 25-yarder inside the post.
A couple of "Barry the Badger" Krangle-type goal-line rebounds put CPU ahead 4-1, though the Badger himself was absent for the second half, perhaps because some squirrels were seen in the area.
In the women's league, Source edged Banana Peppers with goals from Sara Schultz and a lefty from Grace Bland who put her southpaw to an incoming cross. Whatever their combination of hair product and Pilates, these veteran strikers look the same as they did when they were scoring back in 1994.
Blazers stepped it up for their match with the Ya Yas, on a 30-yard shot from Ashley Taylor and yet another from Jackie Ostrosky. There is nothing cuddly about Kari "Carebear" Dixon when she's in front of the net, as she scored twice with Angela Muir adding a single to complete the Ya Yas' scoring.
