Hawks make a statement with their big win over Algoma

Coming off of a tie and loss last weekend, the Wilfrid Laurier University women’s soccer team was looking to show out in a match up with Algoma.

Coaches in different sports speak on not wasting any steps or movements. It’s something that is key in order for the athletes to perform at a higher level.

Well, the Golden Hawks wasted none, opening the scoring within the first minute of the game with second-year defender Ellie Reid scoring her first goal of the season. The snowball effect would start from there, as Laurier proceeded to go on a tear.

By the 13-minute mark, Maxine Murchie tallied her second goal of the year beating the goalkeeper to the ball and scoring. The 22-minute mark would bring a penalty shot for Laurier as Gagan Parhar got tripped by Algoma goalkeeper Alexis Trigiani-Kirkwood. Midfielder Nicole Lyons would materialize, securing her first goal of the year.

Six minutes later, Natalie Berry would score off of an assist from Maxine Murchie to make it 4-0. A minute later, Maxine Murchie would score her second of the game to make it 5-0. Not too long after that, Gagan Parhar would also score off of an assist from Victoria Conforti.

“Today we really went out to focus on our patterns of play and keeping possession of the ball and trying to hurt them off of that and I think in the first half we did well.”

Asked about whether he had expected the first half outburst Coach MacLean said: “not necessarily 6-0 but I think we have the ability to score goals and create goals.”

“We were a lot more mobile and we had a lot more players changing positions in the first half, kept the ball moving and created a lot more real opportunities for us, which was good.”

“I think we stopped doing that in the second half and that was the biggest difference between why we created so many in the first half and not the second half,” he added.

The Hawks not only dominated the scoreboard but also possession of the ball as Algoma really had no chance to make anything happen. Their answer to the flurry of goals – which had calmed down by then – came in the form of a penalty shot scored by Sarah Von Boerdonk at the 87-minute mark.

A minute later again, the Hawks would answer, this time with Danielle Ortlieb making it 7-1 which would be the final score of the match.

Whereas last week, the trouble was finding a rhythm in the first half of play, this week, Laurier made a statement. Having not been pleased with his team’s competitiveness and first half efforts last week, Coach MacLean was more pleased with his team’s effort this time around.

“Today we really went out to focus on our patterns of play and keeping possession of the ball and trying to hurt them off of that and I think in the first half we did well,” MacLean said.

“Second half, we lost our way a little bit, didn’t play with any real intensity and you know, it was hot today, so it’s like the game kind of died its own death. But I would have said first half, I was pleased with the way we went about it, second half, it was okay.”

With the rematch on Sunday versus Algoma being called off, next up for the Golden Hawks will be the McMaster Marauders on Friday.