Team captain Sara Hopper knew
what she had to do at half-time of
the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks’
women’s soccer team’s 4-1 win over
the Waterloo Warriors on Thursday.
After a tongue-lashing from
head coach Barry MacLean, Hopper,
along with her fellow Hawks,
recognized they needed to shape up,
and fast.
Like the speedy team that they’re
known to be, they wasted no time
taking over a game they thought
they should have had since the
opening whistle.
Hopper sailed in from centre field
just moments after the second half
had commenced and buried a blast
over the hands of Waterloo Warriors’
goalkeeper Taylor Meyers, giving
the Hawks a 2-1 lead.
The Hawks never looked back,
adding goals from Heather Malizia
and Alyssa Coppolino; they went on
to dominate the Warriors 4-1.
“It was our worst performance of
the season,” said MacLean. “We had
a lack of focus and I think we took
the competition too lightly.”
MacLean had good reason to
show his frustration. In a disorganized
and tumultuous first half, the
Hawks were able to get on the board
with a goal by Liora Berger from a
beautiful centring pass by Alyssa
Coppolino.
Mere seconds after Berger’s
opening tally, the Warriors capitalized
on a defensive collapse by the
Hawks, and Janine Caird, the vocal
leader of the Warriors all game long,
drove a goal past Laurier’s goalkeeper
Tristin Vogel.
If Warriors’ head coach Peter
Mackie’s comments are any indication,
MacLean’s harsh, half-time
homily worked wonders in inspiring
the Hawks to come out and crush
the Warriors.
“The girls felt very good about
the way they played the first 45 minutes,”
said Mackie. “But … the second
goal is demoralizing. Within
five minutes of the second half,
you’re down a goal … and the game
shut down.”
The Hawks took all the momentum
from Hopper’s goal and neutralized
any threat by the Warriors
in the second half.
“At halftime we had a good long
talk, and in the second, we did a lot
better,” he said.
“I expect a different Laurier team
tomorrow.”
And a different team showed up
the next day to take on the Waterloo
Warriors. As if a 4-1 win wasn’t
convincing enough, the Hawks followed
up Thursday’s victory with
a 7-1 thrashing on a rainy Friday
afternoon. Ali McKee and Hopper
each potted two goals in the win.
On Wednesday, the Hawks lost
for just the second time this year,
1-0 to the York Lions. They are currently
8-2-1 and tied with the Lions
atop the provincial standings.
