September 15, 2024
WELLAND, ON: The Niagara Knight's (3-1) were able to walk away this past weekend going 1-1. The Knights welcomed the Lambton Lions (0-3) this past Saturday and brought their confidence from their previous 4-0 win over Fanshawe and had a massive performance, taking the game 8-0. They then hosted the St. Clair saints (3-1) and although coming off a massive win, they were unable to gain the points and fell 4-1 to the Saints.
The Knights played a dominant game from the first whistle. Opening the scoring just 2 minutes into the game from second-year Aneisha Gobbels, who finished the game with 2 goals and number 4 of the season. Following this they were able to put 2 more in the back of the next before the 10-minute mark, coming from first-year Tessa Vahrmeyer and second-year Lily Ryder, who was also able to put 2 goals on the score sheet. Coach Rob Lalama was very pleased with their performance and work rate this game, "The team continues to be focused and willing to commit to the hard work needed in our quest for continued improvement" says Lalama.
The Knights then played their second game of the weekend on home turf, welcoming the St. Clair Saints this past Sunday. The Knights faced a tenured Saints team and played a competitive game from the start. After conceding a goal in the first 5 minutes of play, they quickly bounced back as Knights striker Lily Ryder was able to speed past the defender and make it a tie game just 6 minutes later. As the Knights fought until the last minute, they faced their first loss of the regular season, losing 4-1. Although they do not burden this loss but look at it as a chance to improve and adjust. As Coach Lalama says, "Sometimes you learn more from a loss than you do a win". The Knights are 3-1 through the first 4 games of the season and working to be better everyday, "If someone told me before the season that we would have a 3-1 record, and tied for first place after 4 games, I think we'd take it," says Lalama as he reflects on the weekend.
The Knights fought hard all weekend in the late summer heat and came out even, being 1-1. They look to recover, rest and regroup, as they prepare for their next challenge. They will travel to Hamilton, Ontario to take on the Mohawk Mountaineers this Wednesday, September 18th at Tim Hortons field.
Written by: Jack Soares
