FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 17, 2023
Victory win on penalties, but not enough to secure a spot in the postseason playoffs
Vancouver, Washington: As a fan of the Vancouver Victory, and even as a soccer fan in general, you couldn’t have asked for a better game last Saturday, as the Victory took on Bellingham United in their final home match of the regular Evergreen Premier League season. It was a culmination of everything the Victory had accomplished up until that point in the season, but it still wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the post-season playoffs. Despite that bittersweet end to the season, the Victory walked away with a hard-earned win, as they defeated Bellingham United 5-4 on penalties after the game ended tied 0-0 after extra time.
The Victory did everything they could to keep their playoff hopes alive, which Head Coach Jeff Lukowiak could not have been prouder of. “We proved today that we’re the toughest team in the league. When we put our hearts and souls into it, we can beat the best.” Going into Saturday’s matchup, Bellingham United were not only the team to beat, boasting an undefeated record, but they were also the defending league champions. The Victory were the only team to defeat Bellingham all season. “Our team played a great game today and held off a very good squad,” added Lukowiak. “We were missing our top goal scorer and captain today, and the team stepped up to the challenge. It was one of our top performances of the season.”
That game wrapped up the season for the Victory, but Lukowiak and the rest of the squad are already looking forward to building on the great progress that was made this season, with the hopes of making a run deep into the playoffs next year.
