Rangers topple Kickers to capture Ontario Cup
BERNIE PUCHALSKI
POSTMEDIA NETWORK
When the Niagara-on-the-Lake Rangers under-13 girls soccer team looks back on its Ontario Cup championship season, it will point to its win over Waterloo United in Ontario Cup group action as a crucial moment.
“I think our turning point and the point I knew we had an Ontario cup winning team all happened at the same time,” Rangers head coach Matt Hahn said.
Waterloo United was the favourite to win the Ontario Cup and the team grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game against the Rangers.
“I knew our team had talent and we were about to see if they had heart,” Hahn said.
The Rangers fought back and won the game 3-2, thanks to two goals in the final 10 minutes of the game.
“The girls never dropped their heads, they stuck to the plan and showed their heart,” he said. “They won the game and it was at that moment I knew we could win the cup.”
The Rangers also beat the Sarnia Spirit and the Bradford Eagles in group play to advance to the quarterfinals where they beat the Erin Mills Eagles 3-1. A 5-2 semifinal victory over the Ancaster Titans advanced Niagara-on-the-Lake to the Ontario Cup final against the Windsor East Side Kickers.
“The final would be a nail-biter though as these two evenly match teams went back and forth with chances,” Hahn said.
Weather would also played a factor throughout the game.
“Heavy rains and whipping winds made it difficult to string numerous passes together,” he said. “The two teams soldiered on despite the issues but it made them play a more direct style of game as time wore on.”
Maia MacLean scored in the first half, Arianna Zumpano scored with three minutes left in the game and Reanna Beaudoin’s made some key saves as the Rangers captured the Ontario Cup with a 2-0 victory.
“With nearly 500 teams entering the competition this year, there is one who stands atop, the Niagara-on-theLake Rangers,” Hahn said.
Hahn had worked with the team since the under-9 season and decided this year that the best option to ready the team to play against the best girls teams in the province was to move them into the boys under-13 division in the Niagara Soccer League. The team ended the season with six wins on the season.
“On top of that, the girls have handily won every single tournament they have entered across Ontario, even playing a year up at times,” he said.
Hanh believed the team was successfulbecauseitwasafamilyandthat was its cheer before every game.
“The girls worked for their teammates and not for themselves and that was key,” he said. “We had the goal for a year of winning the Ontario Cup and it kept us focused and working hard.”
Members of the team, coached by Hahn, assistant coach Mike Mitrovic and goalie coaches Andy Maroudas and Mel Bajic, were Payten Mills, Krysten Schuster, Demi Maroudas, Kasandra Mitrovic, Beaudoin, Tess Robert-Ramos, Avery Royer, Stella Berezowski, Sheridan Peters, Indy DeGroot, Allie Davidson, Zumpano, Logan Brown, Rylan Greatrix, Nicole Tanasi, Eileen Solomen, Parker Midgley, Reese Capitano and MacLean.