The North Enderby Timber and Okanagan Geothermal Ltd. (formerly Monashee Surveying FC) are headed for a Week 3 showdown after reaching last year’s Gibson Cup.
The Timber toppled the Shuswap Outlaws 1-0, while the Geothermal gang brushed back Salmon Arm Auto Quest 2-1 in North Okanagan Soccer League play at MacDonald Park. Both NET and Geothermal are 2-0. They meet Wednesday night at Greater Vernon Athletics Park.
Turn-Key Controls grounded Peters Tirecraft 1-0 in a Vernon derby match under the lights at the college turf.
NET registered their victory with some late drama as star sniper Brent Poulsen was taken down inside the 18 in the 90th minute. Joe Binns stepped up and converted the penalty.
Stefan Depner earned the clean sheet. The Outlaws fell to 1-1.
“We had a bunch of new guys so everyone was getting used to each other,” said Poulsen, who pocketed four of NET’s six goals in last week’s season opener. “We didn’t create many chances.”
Alberto Lopez rang up the deuce as Geothermal held off Auto Quest.
Isaiah Wenger had a first-half breakaway attempt blocked but Lopez buried the rebound.
Lopez later curled a shot like a comma from the top of the 18 for the winner. Auto Quest is 0-2.
Turn-Key evened their record by shading Tirecraft 1-0 on a spectacular late goal being compared to Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic of the LA Galaxy.
Tirecraft (0-2) played Turn-Key even and missed a Grade A chance when Aiden Spraggs misfired on a tap-in after a back pass from rookie Igor Sergychuck.
“Turn-Key had some lesser chances until the 75-minute mark when Zlatan from the LA Galaxy shows up and thumps a laser from just inside centre over the keeper, hits the underside of the crossbar one bounce and in the back of the net,” chuckled Tirecraft veteran midfielder Brad Conlin. “An absolute stunner. Nathan Tucker then salutes us mortals and puts his cape back on.”
Brandon Hincks registered the shutout.
“The game was mostly played in the middle back and forth with both teams showing some composure and control,” said Tucker.