Not a good day for Knights on soccer pitch
Playoff loss at home ends hopes to go undefeated
After playing a pandemic-shortened regular women’s college soccer season entirely within their division, the Niagara Knights finally got to see how teams from other parts of Ontario compete.
They got to experience firsthand how those sides from other divisions in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) generate offence, as well as how they react on defence when they don’t have the ball.
For the host Knights, the results from an OCAA quarterfinal against the Humber Hawks at Youngs Sportsplex in Welland were eye-opening. And season-ending.
Despite controlling play in the opening half and out-chancing the second seed from the Central Division, the Knights, the top seed from the south after going undefeated in league play, took a 1-0 deficit into the break on their way to a heartbreaking 3-0 loss.
Head coach Rob Lalama called his team’s first setback in its most successful season to date in the program’s history a “tough loss.”
“Humber’s first goal came off a free kick that hit our wall, then bounced in the penalty area,” he said. “We were unable to clear it.”
Niagara had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the must-win game when Terin Hultink, one of the team’s go-to threats on offence, directed a pass across the six-yard box to Sydney Sica, the team’s other threat to score whenever she gets the ball within sight of the opposition’s net.
“Ninety-nine of 100 times Syd puts that in the net,” Lalama said.
In the second half, the Hawks scored their second goal and played a “smart tactical game,” digging in their heels on defence.
“They had numbers back to thwart our attacks,” the coach said.
It was Niagara’s first game outside of its division since the OCAA varsity sports returned after missing all of 2020-21 due to the pandemic.
While the Knights earned a first-round bye after dominating their division and sweeping Sheridan, 4-2, Mohawk, 1-4-1, and Redeemer, 0-5-1, in homeand-home series, the Hawks needed to defeat Durham, third, East Division; in penalty kicks in the crossover round to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Both of Humber’s regular-season losses were to the 6-0 Seneca Sting, whose two goals against tied Niagara and
St. Lawrence-Kingston for the lowest in the league.
“Humber is a very good team as well,” Lalama said of the Hawks, the defending bronze medallists.
Despite Saturday’s final score, the Hawks didn’t come into the game with Niagara’s number.
“Last time we played Humber, we defeated them 3-2,” he said. “They were the better team today.”
Lalama couldn’t say enough about this year’s team.
“We are so proud of the team. They were committed this season,” he said. “They trained hard every night.”
Given the on-again, off-again havoc COVID-19 has played on sports, the Knights were grateful for the opportunity to play this year, albeit with pandemic restrictions.
Besides reducing the number of regular-season games, to six from 10, the competition was limited to within the four divisions.
“We were thankful to have a season this year,” Lalama said. “However, I do think that not playing higher-ranked teams during the season hurt us.”
With only Ashley Altamirano and Katelyn Mix ineligible to return for another season, Lalama “can’t wait” for next year to kick off.
Seneca plays St. Lawrence-Kingston and Humber takes on the host Falcons when the OCAA women’s soccer championships get underway Friday at Fanshawe College in London, Ont.
Women’s soccer at Niagara dates back to 2009. The Knights have yet to finish in the top three at the Ontario championships.