The Windsor Lancers women's soccer team got back to their winning ways as they won one of two games this weekend.
The Lancers wrapped up a three-game home stand on on Friday night against the McMaster Marauders with a tough 1-0 loss, then quickly regrouped and delivered a strong road performance on Sunday, earning a convincing 2-1 win over the Brock Badgers.
FRIDAY
The Windsor Lancers hosted the Marauders on Friday in their final home match at Alumni Stadium before heading out on a road trip. Looking to rebound from a split last weekend, the Lancers faced a winless Marauders side desperate for their first victory of the season.
Windsor started strong with an early chance from Samantha Brooks that was ruled offside, but the Lancers went on to hold most of the early possession. McMaster grew into the game with their first major chance coming in the 19th minute, when Molly Palladino tested Windsor goalkeeper Izzy Barrette, who calmly dealt with the effort. Despite the Lancers making strong defensive plays the Marauders were the ones who broke the deadlock late in the first half, with Jade Abreo chipping one over Barrette off of a set piece.
Barrette kept Windsor in the match with multiple key saves, including a punch clearance off McMaster's first corner. In the second half, the Lancers pushed for an equalizer with close chances from Avery Comartin and Kailyn Robertson but couldn't break through. Windsor had a late push in stoppage time but couldn't find the net as McMaster held on for a 1–0 win, their first of the season.
SUNDAY
The Lancers returned to action with determination on Sunday, earning a solid 2-1 win on the road against the Brock Badgers in St. Catharines, Ont.
Brock applied pressure early, earning two corner kicks in the opening ten minutes, but Windsor held steady and began to settle themselves into the game. Their first chance came from a corner, resulting in a shot from Zoe Penny that went just wide.
The real breakthrough came in the 20th minute when Penny regained possession in midfield and found Vanessa Corry out wide. Corry crossed into the box for Avery Comartin, who finished with a composed touch to give Windsor a 1-0 lead. The remainder of the half was evenly matched, but Windsor maintained their advantage going into the break.
The Lancers started the second half on the front foot, with Ava Facchineri setting up Hannah Clark for a shot on target early on. Windsor continued to control the tempo and create chances as they searched for a second goal. The Lancers sealed the win late in the match after Comartin was fouled just outside the box. Jane Pozzi stepped up and curled in a stunning free kick to make it 2-0 with less than five minutes remaining. Tia Schaffer scored for Brock in stoppage time to cut the Windsor lead in half, but the Lancers held on for the win.
UP NEXT
Windsor improves to a 4-3-1 (W-L-T) record on the season and will look to build on this performance as they head to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. next weekend to face the Algoma Thunderbirds in a two-game series. The first game is scheduled for Saturday, September 27 at 1 p.m. The game can be streamed live on oua.tv.
