Saturday, September 19th saw the Niagara Knights women's soccer program (0-2) face an OCAA perennial powerhouse for the second consecutive match. The matchup against the Sheridan Bruins (2-0) proved to be an almost carbon copy of their opening game, as the Knights suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss despite turning in one of the strongest performances in recent memory.
"Today was an exciting game for a fan to watch and the OCAA product enjoyed a very positive 90 minutes in Oakville" said Niagara College women's soccer head coach Frank DeChellis. "I'm sure everyone in attendance thought that the game could have gone either way."
The two teams exchanged back-and-forth scoring chances from the opening whistle. The Bruins however managed to score the only goal of the contest during the 35th minute when forward Alahia McPherson slipped a one versus one scoring chance passed Knights keeper Jenna Vasiliaskis (Burlington). Vasiliaskis was fantastic for the Knights in the contest turning aside several strong scoring chances.
The Bruins whether a frenzied Knights attack over the final ten minutes of the game, to secure the hard fought victory. The Knights had strong scoring chances from forward Jackie Lawther (Beamsville), and midfielders Rebecca Morrison (Erin), Emily Babcock(Caledon), and Julia Pantusa (Niagara Falls) but were unable to find the back of the net.
"All 11 positions played well today, regardless of who was playing in each spot" continued DeChellis. "We have a lot of players giving us the best performances of their post-secondary career and that's what it's going to take. We're fit and we're playing good football. Don't bet against this squad."
The Knights will look for their first victory on Thursday, September 24th when the team hosts the George Brown Huskies (0-1-1) at 2:00pm at Youngs SportsPlex.
