It was a cool day on Wednesday out at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium. Octopi was taking on Multiple Sportosis in its third Urban Rec soccer game this season. The stakes were high. The past two games had been crushing defeats. The first game against top-ranked Nomads FC had been a devastating 6-2 loss.

“They broke our back early on in the first half,” said striker John Horn. “After that we just didn’t have a chance.”

The next game was equally grim. Out-manned (not to mentioned out-womaned), Octopi was again able to score early on only to get out run by Turf Stains. The ol’ “no sub cause we be mad skilled strategy” the team was forced to deploy due to a shortened roster meant by the second half, many of the team were lumbering about the field like dinosaurs. The end result, a 4-1 loss, was a bitter pill to swallow for the new expansion team.

Despite two tough games, Octopi came roaring out of the gate this Wednesday displaying a mix of hard strikes and rock solid defense that the team’s manager Kurt Heinrich says he’d always expected.

“From the get go, I always new there was something special about this team. The defense is almost impossible to breach, especially when we’ve got Walters and Hogkins anchoring the line,” says Heinrich. “This is the Octopi the fans were promised and with a little luck, this is the Octopi we’ll be seeing in the future.”

The game started with a series of terrific goals from Octopi strikers Erin Loxam and John Horn. Mid fielder Kristina Pikksalu made beautiful plays happen. Keeper David Willinsky ensured nothing slipped through and into the net.

After the team identified Multiple Scorosis’ primary danger (the tall blue shirted guy), they were quickly able to neutralize the opposing side’s offense.

The end result, a 5-0 shutout for Octopi, put the team on the scoreboard and was a signal to the rest of the league that the pink shirted crew would not be fodder for an easy victory.

The next game will be Wednesday, February 8 against Totti Hots Purr.