Rallying the troops to start the new school year, the UVic Vikes enter the second week of Vancouver Island Field Hockey Association play in a slightly more favourable position than they started.
Adding another new player, Brady Chen, to the roster and hopeful that some of the players absent in last week’s 2-1 opening win over two-time defending league champion Tigers will be available, the Vikes will look to make it two wins to start the season when they face off against Rebels 1 this Sunday (noon start).
Playing down a man all game versus Tigers, the Vikes still managed to come out on top, thanks to goals from newcomer Chase Martin and team captain Grant Simpson. Lukas Grbic replied for Tigers, who take on the new Victoria League Selects at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 24.
The Selects, a combined unit featuring players from last year’s Mutineers squad and a cross-section of veteran former Tigers players, looked primed to score a victory in their first game last week against Rebels.
The teams were tied 1-1 early in the second half when Sanjiv Galhon redirected a pass to make it 2-1. But Dale Kirk later brought the Rebels back into a 2-2- tie and neither team could snap the deadlock by the end.
Ben Wheatley for Rebels, and Brayden Chatlain for the Selects tallied in the first half.
This Sunday’s other game sees the Hawks and Rebels face off in a recreational division game at 10:30 a.m.