Paulo Kastrup
LANCE WRITER


The Lancers Women’s Soccer team finished off the season Sunday in great style with a 3-0 win against Brock. On Saturday, the team also played well against McMaster in a close 3-2 loss.

“We played a very emotional game, losing in the very last minute,” head coach Angelo Verardi said.

McMaster thoroughly dominated the first half the match, scoring their first goal in the 19th minute and again in the 34th minute. By the end of the first half, it appeared as if Windsor was about to suffer an embarrassing defeat.

However, Verardi’s move of forward midfielder Bridget Jeffray to left wing seemed to be the answer the Lancers were looking for. Jeffray scored Windsor’s first goal in the 53rd minute, putting the Lancers back into the game.

With the scenario changed completely, the Lancers kept putting pressure against a Marauders team that seemed to be lost in the field. Jeffray scored the equalizer in the 66th minute and the match became very dynamic with both teams chasing after the victory.

It was a sore dramatic ending for Windsor, however, with McMaster scoring in the last minute of play. “It was a heart breaking ending,” Verardi said.

Sunday, the Lancers played their last match of the season against Brock. Although neither team qualified for the playoffs, the match still had a strong symbolic value with Windsor and Brock at the bottom of the OUA West in eighth and ninth place respectively.

Windsor took an early lead. An inspired Alyshia Phillips scored the first goal on the sixth minute of play and again at the 33-minute mark.

Keeping an upper hand heading into the second half, Gadder Sobb scored a third Lancers goal in the 60th minute, moments before getting a second yellow card and being ejected from the match.
Playing 11 against 10, the Badgers forced Windsor goal keeper Tara Bernard Rae to make many important saves.

One exciting moment came near the end of the match when Bridget Jeffray took possession of the ball in the left wing. She faked three Brock defenders before taking a high, diagonal shot. The ball hit the goal bar. It could have been the cherry on the top of her well-played Sunday match, finishing her career in style.

“This shot will haunt me for ever,” Jeffray reflected afterwards.

The Windsor Soccer girls achieved their second conference victory of the season, finishing in eighth place and gaining the same number of points of the University of Waterloo, which had a better goal average.

“We had a tough season this year,” Verardi said. “But it seems we made a tremendous improvement in the end. This shows that we are moving towards our goals for next year.”

For Jeffray, this victory wraps up a career with the Lancers. “I am very proud to be at Windsor,” she said. “I was debating about playing or not this year, but I don’t regret it for a moment. And next year, I am looking forward to be watching on the stands, cheering for this group of talented girls. They will do well.”

Also finishing their university careers are seniors Carolyn Loft, Tina Vagnini and Cassandra Quayson.