Laurentians fed first-place run with home cooking
St. Lawrence made the most of playing the majority of its second-half Challenge Cup games at Centennial Field
It took a while for the St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians to play a home game at Centennial Field this Molson Challenge Cup season, but once they did, the Laurentians made the most of it.
The defending champions of the provincial men’s soccer league didn’t play a home game until the 2017 season was five weeks old. That was to allow the grass at Centennial Field to grow in properly and to take advantage of the fact the other pitches used by league’s teams are covered by artificial surfaces.
The Laurentians went 101-1 at home as part of an overall 16-4-3 record that has clinched Big Blue first place in the standings. The only blemishes on St. Lawrence’s record at Centennial Field were a tie against Mount Pearl First Choice Haircutters in their first home game June 17 and a 2-0 loss to Holy Cross Kirby Group just over two weeks ago.
That’s the same Holy Cross team that will face the Laurentians in the 1-2 Page Playoff game on the opening day of the Challenge Cup playoffs at King George V Park in St. John’s on the Labour Day weekend in early September.
The winner advances directly to the championship final, while the loser will get a second chance in the semifinal.
Third place Mount Pearl will face Feildians Ernst and Young in the 3-4 playoff, with the winner advancing to meet the loser of the Laurentians-crusaders game in the semifinal.
While the playoff set-up has been determined, the season is not quite over. That will happen Wednesday at KGV, where the Holy Cross plays C.B.S. That Pro Look Strikers.
The conclusion of that game should also officially give Mount Pearl’s Tyler Forsey the league scoring title.
Forsey has 20 tallies on the season, seven more then Jake Warren and Tyler Kirby of Holy Cross.