It was a slow start for that was the downfall for Niagara Knights women's soccer program (1-1-1, 3rd OCAA Central) on Wednesday against the nationally ranked Humber Hawks (3-0, 1st OCAA Central). The hometown Hawks scored a pair of goals in the first 11 minutes of the match en route to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Knights.

Humber scored goals in the seventh and 11th minutes of the match to jump out to an early 2-0 lead against the Knights. Julia Pantusa (Niagara Falls) notched her third goal of the season, converting a Knights corner kick in the 40th minute to generate some momentum prior to the half. However, it would be short lived as the Hawks would tally markers in the first and last minutes of the second half to walk away with the 4-1 victory.

Despite allowing four goals, keeper Brittany Haanappel (Niagara Falls) made 10 saves in the match. That sentiment was echoed by Head Coach Frank DeChellis. "Brittany turned in one of the strongest goalkeeping performances by a Knights keeper in recent memory," he said of her performance. "Her athleticism and game smarts complement her technique in handling different situations, all of which she demonstrated tonight."

Another positive to take away from the match is the goal scoring of the Knights. Niagara has now recorded goals in each of their first three games of the season, which is something that the team has been unable to do in recent years. This has translated into a confident bunch on the field. "We walked onto the field last night expecting to score and leave with points, which is an attitude that young teams don't usually posess," said DeChellis.

Niagara will next hit the turf on Sunday, September 25th when the Sheridan Bruins (2-0-1, 2nd OCAA Central) visit Welland for another tough matchup. Kickoff is slated for 6pm at Youngs Sportsplex. Admission is free for all spectators.