The soccer season at Alberni District Secondary School is at the mid-point and the junior boys squad is aiming for a berth in the North Island Championships.
More than 20 players have been practising twice a week since the third week of September.
The team competes in the North-North Island league with eight other teams from Courtenay, Comox, Campbell River, and Powell River.
The team has played five games out of seven on the season and are 2-1-2 so far, with defeats coming from Mark Isfeld and Carihi.
“If we played Isfeld again it would be a different game now,” head coach Neil Anderson said. “They’d have to work for their win.”
There are no standouts on the team, but the players play as a team and make the most of what they have, Anderson said about team strengths.
Molding them into a team has been the greatest challenge. “We almost didn’t have enough players at the start of the year,” Anderson said. “They’re clicking together now that we have the bodies.”
Three international students from Korea are on the roster and are a good fit.
“Their skill level is on par with where the other players are at,” Anderson said.
The language barrier with the Korean students was an initial challenge, particularly when explaining drills. The students are observant and mimicked other players during drills. “But their English is getting better now,” Anderson said.
The team last played on Tuesday against Mark Isfeld.
They play again Tuesday, Oct. 18 against Campbell River’s Phoenix Highschool.
The season finishes on Oct. 28.
reporter@albernivalleynews.com