October 16, 2024
WELLAND, ON: Your Niagara Knights, finishing 3rd in the OCAA West heading into playoffs, matched up against the #6 seed Humber Hawks. The outcome of this match was not what the Knights were looking for as they lost 2-1.
After a lackluster first half of controlling the ball and waiting to see who would make the first mistake, the second half provided for many tense moments as all fans sat on the edge of their seats. The Knights opened the scoring in the 52nd minute as Hanna Truant tapped the ball into the back of the net after a save by the Hawks keeper, giving Niagara a 1-0 lead. Minutes later, the Hawks countered with a goal of their own, tying the game up. The rest of the 2nd half saw plenty of chances from both sides as they each were looking for the game winning goal in regulation.
Alas, overtime was in the cards for this 3v6 matchup as both teams battled hard for 90 minutes. Overtime saw much of the same as the 2nd half, with chances coming at both ends of the pitch. As fans were preparing themselves for penalty kicks to decide the winner, a late cross came through the Knights' box which ended up seeing the Hawks bounce the ball into the back of the net – solidifying the 2-1 loss for the Knights.
A disappointed Rob Lalama, head coach for the Knights said "it's tough taking a loss, especially in the 120th minute of extra time." As he continued to ponder on the jaw-dropping outcome that had just happened, he thought "it's especially hard when you know it brings a very good season to an unfortunate end."
The Knights see themselves taking an unexpected early exit in the playoffs, concluding the 2024-2025 season. Thank you for all your continued support throughout the season Knights fans and we hope to see you out there again next year.
