Hawks yet to lose

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks’ women’s soccer team kept their undefeated streak alive over the weekend with 4-0 and 1-0 wins over the Guelph Gryphons and York Lions, respectively, in their first two home games of the season.

“I think it’s [been] our best performance thus far,” said head coach Barry MacLean following Sunday’s win.

“We are gaining more confidence as a team and we are just rounding into form.”

On Saturday, a floundering Gryphons side visited Alumni Field and were given a rude welcome.

Waterloo native Sarah Houghton notched a goal just four minutes into the match.

After a choppy first half, the Hawks and Gryphons went into halftime with the Hawks up 1-0.

In the second half, the Hawks took control as Ali McKee and Heather Malizia scored goals just five minutes apart, in the 47th and 52nd minute respectively.

Houghton got her second goal 10 minutes later to put the game away and give Laurier a comfortable 4-0 victory.

On Sunday the visiting York Lions presented the Hawks with a much stiffer test. The talented and physical Lions had just come off of a 6-0 dismantling of the University of Waterloo and they came ready to play.

“[York] are very well organized,” said MacLean.

The number four nationally ranked Hawks had to withstand some early pressure from the well-coached Lions but did well on the counter attack. By the 15th minute the game had turned; York keeper Sarah Fiorini was called into action a few times.

The Hawks notched the only goal of the game in the 31st minute when Malizia controlled the ball at the edge of the box, corralled it to her feet, and after dribbling past a York defender, slotted it far-post on Fiorini.

“I don’t think there is anyone in the country like her,” said MacLean of Malizia. “She is just naturally gifted, she has pace, and she just seems to glide past players. She is a handful.”

“It’s easy to be confident when you have a strong team behind you,” said Malizia.

That strike proved to be the only one the Hawks would need as they extended their record to five wins and one tie.

The Hawks continue their season this Saturday when they take on the Western Mustangs at 1:00 p.m. at Alumni Field.