After a brief stint at home, Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 (4W-4L-2D) are back on the road this week in United Soccer Leagues (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) action.
Coming off two of their best performances of the season — a 4-2 road win over Victoria Highlanders FC and a 4-0 win over third-place Washington Crossfire — the ‘Caps will look to claim their season-high third straight win on Wednesday when they visit Fraser Valley Mariners FC (0W-10L-1D) at Bateman Park in Abbotsford, BC.
In their previous meeting this season, the ‘Caps cruised to a 4-0 victory over Fraser Valley on May 23 at Simon Fraser University Field #4.
“They’re always a feisty, competitive group,” Whitecaps FC U-23 head coach Craig Dalrymple told whitecapsfc.com. “They’ve struggled to get results this year for whatever reason, but they’ve got a good coaching staff and a good organized group of players. We need to be at our best to get another result, for sure.”
WHITECAPS FC U-23
With six matches remaining in the season, Whitecaps FC U-23 currently sit in fifth place in the PDL Western Conference, Northwest Division. Their 14 points are five points clear of the trailing North Sound SeaWolves FC and Victoria Highlanders FC.
Led by the likes of Caleb Clarke and Ben Fisk, the ‘Caps are tied for the division-lead and second to only Ventura County Fusion in the PDL Western Conference with 23 goals scored so far this season.
With Clarke and Fisk busy preparing for the United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) playoffs with the U-18 Residency squad, the team had added some additional players, including the return of former Residency striker Coulton Jackson, who’s becoming quite the weapon for the young ‘Caps.
Since returning to the club, Jackson has now scored a goal in each of his three appearances this season. He’s also added a pair of assists in only 67 minutes of action over the three matches.
“He’s shown that his sharpness is still there; he’s come back to the club and looked in fine form,” Dalrymple said. “He’s got extremely good movement, he looks to find really attacking minded spaces, and when he gets the ball in those spaces, he’s typically quite lethal.”
MARINERS FC
Winless in 11 matches this season, the Abbotsford outfit will certainly be hungry for their first victory against their Lower Mainland rivals.
The Mariners, who earned their lone point of the season on May 19 in a 1-1 draw with Washington Crossfire, are coming off a 3-0 loss to first-place Kitsap Pumas.
Striker Adrian Kekec has scored two of the squad’s three goals this season.
RIGHT BACK AT IT
Next up for the ‘Caps is a date with the first-place Pumas, who are unbeaten in six matches, on June 22 in Bremerton, Washington. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday at Bremerton Memorial Stadium.
