Rovers CCBTU had an opportunity to climb to the top of the Premier Division midway through the Vancouver Metro Soccer League season, but have dropped into a tie for third place.
The Rovers, on a three-game win streak prior to Saturday game against Columbus FC at Newton Athletic Park, lost 6-0 to the new Premier Division leaders.
The Surrey squad had two players red-carded in the first half, while Columbus had one player sent off just after the break. Using the extra man, Columbus did all their scoring in the second half, and with 24 points are two points of the Rovers.
West Van FC is in second place with 23 points, one back of the leaders, while Estrella de Chile is tied with the Rovers, each with 22. The top four teams have all played 11 games.
The Surrey United Firefighters are in fifth place with five wins and five losses, and rare seven points back of the Rovers. United edited the Metro Ford Wolves 2-1 at Cloverdale Athletic Park on Saturday, getting second-half goals from Ryan Reynolds and Justin Carvery to erase a Wolves lead. Stefan Leslie assisted on both goals, with Reynolds also assisting in Carvery’s game winner.
The Delta United Hurricanes are in sixth position in the 12-team Premier Division, tied with United with 15 points but having played one more game.
The Hurricanes fell 2-1 to the Vancouver Olympics last Sunday at North Delta’s John Oliver Park.
Joey Brar headed home a Gagan Josan corner kick to give Delta a 1-0 lead roughly 30 minutes into the game. But the Olympics, winless in their previous 10 starts and playing a man short in the second half, scored twice in the final 20 minutes of the game for their first victory of the season.
ICST Pegasus, provincial champions two seasons ago and last year’s Premier Division champions, lost for the fourth time in five games and fell to ninth place with 12 points.
Azad Palani and Jag Gill tallied for Pegasus in a 3-2 loss to Croatia SC in Vancouver Saturday. Each goal tied the game, but Croatia got the winner with 20 minutes to play.
Surrey’s three teams play next Saturday, with the united Firefighters hosting West Van at 2 p.m. at Cloverdale Athletic Park and the Rovers and Pegasus clashing at 4 p.m. at Newton Athletic Park.
The Hurricanes host the Richmond Hibernians at 2 p.m. Sunday at John Oliver Park.