Joey Payeur
Exactly one month and nine games had passed since the La Place Rendez-Vous Voyageurs U18 men’s team had tasted their lone victory of the season.
Considering it was a win by forfeit, that achievement was the equivalent of going out for Chinese food and only getting to eat the fortune cookie.
Fast forward to last night’s 4 vs. 5 playoff game in the Borderland Soccer League, where the cellar-dwelling Voyageurs devoured the sweet success of a 1-0 surprise shutout of fourth-place Pharmasave to earn a spot in this Monday’s semi-final game against top-seeded International Travel Services (13-2-1).
Matt Berube tracked down Ian Jodoin’s long, high-bouncing lead pass and redirected the ball into the open side of the net with just under 10 minutes left in the second half to provide the only goal the Voyageurs (1-13-2) needed.
Pharmasave (3-11-2), who were down to 10 men midway through the first half after a red-card infraction, had several scoring chances throughout the game.
But time and again, keeper Dane Blais turned the burgundy-clad brigade aside thanks to strong defensive backfield help from the likes of Alex Gustafson and Shawn Brady.
Monday’s other men’s semi-final will pit second-place Senior Pharmasave (12-4) versus third-place Manitou Forest Products (8-7-1).
Both contests will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Struchan Gilson pitches.
In women’s division action, meanwhile, it was another good result for a Voyageurs’ squad as La Place Rendez-Vous whipped Boston Pizza 5-1 in a game to decide first place overall.
Nicole Avis notched a pair in the first half, then completed the hat trick in the second half to finish the season third in league scoring with 11 goals.
Jess Caul added the other two to bump her season total to 18—good for second behind Boston Pizza’s Laureen Peters (30).
Boston Pizza, which set up the first-place showdown by beating the Voyageurs 3-2 on Tuesday, got their only marker on Allison Brown’s fifth of the season, which spoiled an otherwise perfect night of work by keeper Amy Penner.
La Place Rendez-Vous (13-2-1) now will square off against fourth-place Al’s Racquet Stringing (1-14-1) in one semi-final this Tuesday while Boston Pizza (12-3-1) will meet third-place Taggs Source for Sports (4-11-1) in the other.
Both games kick off at 6:30 p.m. at the Struchan Gilson pitches.
