It was a record setting day for the Niagara College women's soccer program, as the Knights turned in arguably their strongest performance in team history. In the first ever meeting between Niagara and George Brown the Knights defeated the visiting Huskies 4-0 at Youngs SportsPlex.
The four goals represent a single game record for the Knights women's soccer program, while the plus four goal differential represents the largest margin of victory for Niagara College women's soccer.
"I'm very happy with the way our entire group performed today" said Niagara College head coach Frank DeChellis. "In each of our first three games we have competed hard and continued to develop our system. The outcome today is the result of 23 girls working hard during training."
The Knights were paced by 2014 team MVP Jackie Lawther (Beamsville) who notched a pair of goals. The fourth-year striker was a force for the Knights. Her opening tally came in the 30th minute and was a right-footed strike that served as an exclamation mark on the end of a field length individual effort by the former Bishops Gaitor.
After carrying a 1-0 lead into halftime, the second half opened with the two sides playing tentatively for the first 15 minutes. The Knights exploded offensively over the final 30 minutes, finding the back of the Huskies' net three times.
Former Brock Badger Alexandra Pasco (Niagara Falls) put the Knights up 2-0 in the 62nd minute. The former St. Paul Patriot notched her first OCAA tally via a header that was setup by a strong corner kick from second-year midfielder Emily Babcock (Milton).
Lawther's second goal, a turnaround left footed strike from the top of the 18-yard box, came in the 68th minute. The goal was setup by a fantastic high cross from second-year midfielder Rebecca Morrison (Erin). Lawther, who is enrolled in the Niagara College sport management program, now has three career goals, tying her for the most in Niagara Knights women's soccer history.
The Knights final tally came during the 86th minute, after veteran forward Kelsey Snyder (Niagara Falls) was fouled in the penalty area. The ensuing free kick was taken by St. Catharines native Meaghan Krawczyk. Playing her first game in a Knights uniform, the former Southeastern Louisiana NCAA division one standout added an immediate offensive punch to an already talented Knights line-up. Krawczyk is enrolled in the Exercise Science for Health and Performance graduate program.
"We got contributions across the board today" continued DeChellis. "The impact of the experienced and veteran players on our roster this season reaches well beyond the score sheet. I am very proud of this deserving group of girls."
Veteran keeper Jenna Vasiliaskis continued her outstanding play. The Burlington native competed for two seasons as a member of the Brock Badgers team before enrolling in the Niagara College Autism and Behaviourial Science program. The shutout is Vasiliaskis' first ever OCAA clean sheet.
The Knights will face a short turnaround as the team will host the Seneca Sting (2-0-1) on September 26th at Youngs SportsPlex at 2:00pm.
