The Niagara Knights women's soccer team (2-2-2, 4th OCAA Central) dropped a 2-0 decision to the first place Humber Hawks (5-0-1, 1st OCAA Central) on October 1st. They now head into a home-and-home series with the Seneca Sting (2-0-2, 3rd OCAA Central), who the Knights are locked into battle with in the OCAA standings.

In the game against Humber, the Knights were unable to overcome a powerful attack that currently leads the division in scoring. Despite maintaining a 0-0 score at halftime, Humber was able to score a pair in the early stages of the second half to seal the game. Brittany Haanappel (Niagara Falls) was once again tremendous for the Knights despite the loss. She made nine saves in the match, but also quarterbacked the Knights backline throughout the contest.

Head Coach Frank DeChellis, although disappointed by the result, had high praise for his defensive back line in the match, specificially Brianna Pietrangelo (Welland). "Brianna has adopted a new position this year, and has played like a champ," said DeChellis. "She had an injury plagued rookie season and to see her flourish this year has been very rewarding." In addition to Pietrangelo, DeChellis was very complementary of the play of Shannon Halliday (Welland), Morgan German (Niagara Falls), Rachel Bennet (Woodstock) and Katie Clarke-Robinson (St. Catharines) for their steady play and composure throughout the season.

With the match against Humber behind them, the Knights enter a pair of important clashses with the Sting. Although tied in the standings, the Sting have played two less games than Niagara this season, having two matches postponed due to the weather. This pair of matches will go a long way in determining who will secure the favourable third place in the OCAA's central division. 

Coach DeChellis is aware of the important of the matchup, and recognizes the strength of their program this year. "Against Seneca we will have to be sharp and mindfulof everything we've worked on to date," said DeChellis. "They are always strong and more than able to score."

Following tonight's matchup the Knights will host the return matchup with the Sting on Friday, October 7th at Youngs Sportsplex. Kickoff is scheduled for 4pm. Admission is free for all spectators.