League-leading Crusaders take six-game victory streak into match against Games team
League-leading Holy Cross Kirby Group will look to extend its winning streak to seven games tonight as it takes on Canada Games /Gerry O’Brien Financial in Molson Challenge Cup provincial soccer play at King George V Park.
The Crusaders’ string of victories stretches back four weeks and started after a scoreless draw with Mount Pearl First Choice Haircutters on June 19. Including that tie, Holy Cross hasn’t lost since May 21, when it suffered its lone defeat of the season, a 2-1 setback at the hands of Feildians.
Still, it isn’t as if Holy Cross has been romping of late. The defending champs had to get late game-winners in their last two outings — one-goal victories over Corner Brook and the C.B.S. That Pro Look Strikers, both non-playoff teams. And outside of a 3-0 shutout of the Games team, all their decisions in the current win streak have been by two goals or less.
As well, Holy Cross has to be careful not to get caught looking ahead of tonight’s contest to its weekend matchups against Feildians and the St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians , who each have 32 points and are two points behind the Crusaders. It’s also worth noting that Sunday’s match at KGV against the Laurentians is the first of three straight between Holy Cross and St. Lawrence, the team the Crusaders defeated in last year’s Challenge Cup final.
The good news for Holy Cross is that it hasn’t had to depend on one or two players for offence. Cross has the league’s best goals-per-game average (exactly three per contest), but has only one player in the league’s top six goal-scorers — Tyler Kirby with seven tallies. However, there are seven Crusaders in the top 20, all with three or more markers.