Lions are high school boys soccer champs
Assumption, PJC qualify for CWOSSA
By LORI LITTLETON
EXPOSITOR STAFF
photo by Colin Everett
Brantford
After a shaky start to their season, the Assumption College senior boys
soccer players captured the city championship Friday afternoon with a 3-1
win over Pauline Johnson Collegiate.
“We beat them with our heart because we were coming from last place in the
league,” said Andrew Bradbury. “We won our last two games to get into
the playoffs and I hope we win CWOSSA (Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools”
Association) and OFSSA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations).”
With about 10 minutes left in the first half, Bradbury ripped a shot
from the midfield past PJC keeper James Hake for what turned out to be the
game winner.
The Lions, who had a fierce wind at their backs in the first half,
opened the scoring at about the 15-minute mark with a cross-field pass by
Derek Ullman that found its way to the left side of the net.
PJC’s Matt Hoogkamp mirrored Ullman’s goal about 10 minutes later, crossing
the ball to the right side of the net to tie the game at one apiece.
After Bradbury scored to pull Assumption ahead 2-1, Derek Smith netted an
insurance marker about 14 minutes into the second half.
A few minutes after Assumption’s third goal, keeper Nathan Dorsey blocked
a shot from a PJC player. Richie Britton picked up the rebound, but was pulled
down by an Assumption player, who received a yellow card.
On the penalty shot, Britton’s shot to the middle was blocked by Dorsey.
Britton picked up the rebound, but shot it to the left of the net.
Hoogkamp called the penalty shot the knife in the Thunderbirds’ back.
“It could have changed the game because, all the chances we had, we
could have taken more time and finished them,” he said. “There wasn’t much
time left and it wiped us out.”
In Friday morning’s semifinal, Mark Hoogkamp and Britton scored one goal
each as the Thunderbirds blanked North Park Collegiate. Hake recorded the
shutout.
By reaching Friday’s final, both PJC and Assumption qualified for CWOSSA.
Next week, the T-Birds will need to work on controlling the ball more, Mart
Hoogkamp said.
“We need to keep the ball down around our feet instead of in the air,” he
said. ‘We need to work the ball up as a team instead of kicking it and running.”
PROVED EXPOSITOR WRONG
Friday was the first time in a few years that the T-Birds had reached the
city championships. At the beginning of the season, The Expositor ranked PJC
last.
“I guess we wanted to prove The Expositor wrong about that,” Hoogkamp joked.
Assumption’s Mark Skrzyniarz, who had a strong game in the midfield, said
the Lions were “concentrating on splitting the defence and working the ball
wide so it could be crossed in.”
In Friday’s other semifinal, Skrzy-niarz said the Lions were nervous but
the jitters left them after defeating St. John’s College 3-2 in extra time.
Assumption co-coach Peter Polillo said playing SJC was a “see-saw battle.”
With the score tied 2-2, about five minutes into sudden-death extra time,
the Green Eagles turned over the ball in their box.
“We had two guys who were just waiting to gobble it up and Derek Smith buried
it,” Polillo said. “It came down to one team making a mistake.”
Polillo praised Assumption keeper Dorsey, who is in his first soccer season,
for his “oustanding play,” especially for remaining calm during the penalty
shot, which came at a critical time in the match.
“Nate kept his cool and his eye on the ball. He played his position perfectly.”
Polillo said winning the championship game was a true team effort, a concept
pushed by the coaches.
“It takes 11 players to score a goal and 11 players for a goal to be scored,”
he said. “I credit the players. They came together at the end of the season.”
Michael Michaelides, PJC co-coach, said the Thunderbirds didn’t play their
best in the first half, but remained positive and didn’t “get down” on themselves.
“We couldn’t put things together in the first half as we could in the second.
They put a lot of pressure on us,” he said.
Michaelides said. PJC had many chances in the second half but couldn’t finish
their plays.
“There were breakaways, a penalty shot,” he said. “It could have easily
been 3-3 or with us ahead.”
Michaelides pointed to strong defensive play from Chris Sweeting, Jesse Jamison
and Casey Calder, and Hake, who moved up to forward with about 15 minutes
left in the game. Mark Hoogkamp took Hake’s place in net.
Michaelides said there’s the possibility of a repeat of the city championship
game at CWOSSA next week.
“Maybe we’ll get to play them again,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a
better result.”
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