Coast Progressive United (CPU) are the kings of the local soccer pitch after a thrilling 1-0 win over Wolves in the tournament final Sunday afternoon at Kinnikinnick Park.
The weekend started with a flurry of games.
Pender Harbour Bananas had the tough draw of playing back-to-back games, and still lost their second game to CPU by only one goal. After a five-year chokehold on the Beer Cup, with their two appearances in the finals among the upper crust of the league, the Bananas seemed like a fish out of water.
It was as though they were worried they would use the wrong fork or make a bad joke. This year they were back in their element, Beer Cup on their shoulders, hooting and hollering, shaking and spraying their trophy on each other.
Seventh place Chiefs played spoiler to first place Wolves as they pulled out their A game, which they had kept buried deep in their back pocket all season. Two snipes from Scotty Johnson and a boomer from Toby Baptiste, and favorites Wolves went down 3-0.
Sitas pushed through their group with a win over Chiefs and lost a tight semifinal to CPU. The Sitas all-English midfield quartet of Neville Judd, Mike Brown, Richard Watson and Paul Murphy showed the colonials how it's done back in the old country, and got stellar keeping from Rey 'Sabra' Kestleman.
Ridgepoint Bruins two ties didn't put them through, though they got great defending as fancy foot-working forwards would look up in terror to the flaring nostrils and wild eyes of Jesse 'Raging Bull' Agnew.
Halfmoon Bay tied second place CPU 2-2 and third place Ridgepoint, and were looking like this year's Cinderella story, as keeper Trevor Cockfield beat himself like an old rug to keep his net clean. However, when striker Jesse Morantz selfishly skipped the semifinal to study for a medical exam, Halfmoon Bay lacked a little finish on the front line in their loss to the Wolves, and so it was mice and pumpkins after all.
With their loss to the Chiefs, Wolves faced elimination unless they could beat Sitas in the semi by five goals. As Bill Wilton tore in on Wolves keeper Dana Dixon, it wasn't looking good, until Dixon made the big save, followed by a 35-yard cannon from Corey August. Wolves followed with four more, to meet CPU in the final, where ex-Wolf striker Al Sorenson watched from a hill on his bike like the ghost of soccer past.
CPU were on their heels most of the final, as Wolves nailed posts and crossbars, and CPU keeper Glenn Coady and fullback Martin Blackwell were everywhere.
Late in the second half, tournament MVP Ken Campbell's cross was converted by Matt Summers, to give CPU the win.
The league thanks Dave Marsh and Dean Totten for all their efforts throughout the season.
