Excel getting busy in PCSL

With a mere three games under its belt during the first month of the Pacific Coast Soccer League men’s premier division season, the Kamloops Excel has had it pretty easy.

You can bet that will change today, 7 p.m., when the Excel plays host to the Vancouver Thunderbirds at Hillside Stadium. The game will be the first of six over the next 15 days for Kamloops, which will play a 16-game schedule taking it into the end of July.

It’s a lot of soccer in a short period of time.

“I think it’s good for us,” said Excel head coach Frank Salituro. “The guys are getting a little fitter and starting to get the systems a little better.”

Kamloops also is scheduled to play host to Khalsa United on Sunday, 2 p.m., also at Hillside.

It won’t be an easy weekend for Kamloops, which is 1-1-1. The T-Birds are 4-0-0 and have allowed only two goals this season, while Khalsa is 4-1-0 and has scored more goals (11) than any other team.

The teams are tied for first in the seven-team PCSL; Kamloops is fifth, but is one of three teams (the T-Birds and Khalsa are the others) to have more goals for than against.

“If we can steal a few points, we’d be in a great spot,” said Salituro.

After this weekend, the Excel will play four consecutive road games — against the Victoria Highlanders and Victoria United on June 12 and 13, before playing Khalsa in Surrey and the T-Birds in Vancouver on June 19 and 20.

Kamloops is still shortstaffed, with Brett Nordin and Seb Gardner on the shelf due to injury, but it did get Kyle Bowman, Jason Burrows and Stu Jameson back before last week’s 3-3 tie with Athletic Club of B.C. in Burnaby.

“We’re looking good, getting better each game,” Salituro said.

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The Kamloops Heat, meanwhile, also is getting ready for a pair of home PCSL women’s reserve division games.

Kamloops, which is 2-2-2 so far, is to play host to the North Shore Stars today, 4 p.m., at Hillside, and Vancouver’s TSS Academy on Sunday, 3 p.m., at McArthur Island. Sunday’s game has been moved to accommodate the CFL’s B.C. Lions, who are opening main camp at Hillside that day.

“This will be, as they all are, a tough weekend,” said Heat head coach Tom McManus, in a press release. “North Shore . . . has been up and down so I have no idea what to expect from them. TSS has been on a tear and they are sitting in first place right now, undefeated. They beat us 3-1 the last time the team was there. I have no idea what the team is like as I wasn't there but I know they are very fast and play well together.”

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After almost a month away from game action, the Excel under-21 men are getting ready for their third PCSL reserve game of the season.

Kamloops is 2-0, but hasn’t played since May 8, when it beat the visiting Penticton Pinnacles 2-1. Kamloops will be taking on Chilliwack FC today, 2 p.m., at Hillside in its third of 12 regular-season games.

The Excel is to play its next five games on the road, before returning to Hillside to take on Vancouver FC on July 3.

mhunter@kamloopsnews.ca

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