The Royal Bay Ravens added a chapter to the historical narrative of the Colonist Cup boys’ high school soccer championship, with their first-ever title in the venerable F.A. Cup-fashioned tournament for Lower Island teams, contested since 1942 when Vic High was the first champion.
The Ravens won the 2024 final, played on Tuesday night, with a 3-0 victory over the Lambrick Park Lions at Centennial Stadium on the University of Victoria campus.
Royal Bay put the game away early with all three goals scored in the first 22 minutes. The Ravens were led by the standout play of Easton Mennie, son and nephew respectively, of Royal Bay co-coaches and former University of Victoria Vikes players and Gorge FC provincial-champions John Mennie and Kevin Mennie.
“Royal Bay came out hungry and scored three fantastic goals,” said league commissioner Rich Fast.
The Lower Island third-seed Ravens had advanced to the final by upsetting the second-seed and defending B.C-champion Reynolds Roadrunners in the Colonist Cup semifinals last week while the fourth-seed Lions advanced to the final by toppling the top-seed Claremont Spartans in the other semifinal.
All four teams advance to the Island championships, with the Triple-A Islands to be held at Oak Bay on Nov. 6-7 and the Double-A at St. Michaels University School on Nov. 4-5.
The top teams from the Island championships advance to the B.C. high school championships in Burnaby, with the provincial Triple-A championship Nov. 21-23, the Double-A championship Nov. 18-20 and Single-A on Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.
