Revived Lions take title
Adam Scott advances to COSSA senior boys soccer championships
Phoenix might be a more appropriate nickname for the Adam Scott Lions senior boys soccer team.
Like the mythological Phoenix rising from the ashes, the Lions fielded a soccer team for the first time in four years and on Thursday won the Kawartha championship.
The Lions edged Cobourg’s St. Mary Thunder 2-1 in the final at Beavermead Park. They run their record to 8-1 this season while avenging their lone loss to St. Mary. Both teams advance to the COSSA AA championship Nov. 3 in Quinte Region.
Lions coach Jen Nugent didn’t have enough players to field separate junior and senior teams so she ran a combined varsity program. At the start of the season a championship wasn’t an expectation.
“To start off this strong after being off the field for four years is pretty impressive,” Nugent said.
“Walking into it I wasn’t sure what I was going to see out of the team not having any junior foundational play. We’re playing a varsity squad in hopes of growing the program in the future. To see how the team came together as a team and played really strong possessive, smart soccer was impressive. I could see as we were moving through the season and into the playoffs how much stronger their game was. This game against St. Mary’s today was incredibly smart and impressive. I was very proud of how they played. Adam Scott Lions' Zach Deline, right, fights for possession against a St. Mary Thunder player during Kawartha senior high school boys soccer championship action on Thursday at Beavermead Park. See more photographs from the game in the online gallery at www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com.
“It’s exciting for us to bring soccer back to the school and to bring it back in a huge way.”
After falling behind 1-0 early, Zach Deline and Mickle O’Neill, late in the first half, scored to rally Adam Scott to victory. They also beat Cobourg Collegiate Wolves 3-2 in double-overtime in semifinal play. O’Neill scored twice including the winner while Jacob Imeson also scored. St. Mary reached the final beating the St. Peter Saints 2-1 on penalty kicks after two scoreless overtime halves Kian Beaulieu scored for the Saints.
Colin Sutherland, who is taking a fifth year at Adam Scott, played in Grade 9 and did not have another opportunity until this year. He was surprised by how well they did.
“It’s really cool we got a team because our school is super big into football and rugby and that’s where a lot of the attention is,” Sutherland said.
“Clearly, we’re also pretty big into soccer coming this far already. I’m very impressed we seeded first, even top three would have been impressive. When I played in Grade 9 our team was dead last. We scored maybe a total of four goals the entire season. Coming off that horrible season four years ago to place first is just amazing.”
The junior final was an all-Lakeshore affair with CCI facing St. Mary. A final score was unavailable at press time. CCI defeated St. Peter 4-2 in the semifinals and St. Mary knocked off the Crestwood Mustangs.