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League1 Canada Women’s Review: Week 18
By The final League1 Canada women’s roundup is here. After four months of action, the season has just about come to an end. Six key games transpired across Friday and Sunday involving eight squads.
This is Northern Tribune’s review of those six matches, where a trophy, as well as promotion spots, were on the line. The recap contains the women’s games only, but if you want to read the men’s roundup, please click here.
League1 Canada Interprovincial Championship: League Champions Square Off for Glory
The fourth edition of the League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship took place in Alberta on Friday and Sunday. All four provincial winners partook in the tournament, which seldom disappointed. Each of the teams scored at least twice in what was a great weekend of play.
Here is a look back at each match that transpired.
Inter-Provincial Championship Semi-Finals: Rovers Stay Tough, Griffons Show Mettle
The semi-finals of the competition came on Friday, which started off with Altitude facing Simcoe County Rovers. The League1 BC team had clinched their title back in July, while the Rovers came out on top in Ontario just the week prior.
There was just one goal in the contest, which came in the 16th minute off a corner. Teagan Handley swung in the ball which was initially adjudged to be flicked in by Jen Milligan. However, it was later awarded to the former. Regardless, the ball found its way past Dakota Beckett and into the net.
A little less than 10 minutes before the half, Simcoe was awarded a penalty. Aurora Hughes-Goyette fouled Stefanie Young inside the box. Up stepped the Ontarians’ leading scorer Ally Rowe. Her shot crashed off the bar and stayed out. Despite sending Beckett the wrong way, Rowe could not add onto her fine goal-scoring form.
Altitude failed to create meaningful chances throughout the 90 minutes, and that proved to be costly. That helped the Rovers to hold firm and advance to the final.
Friday’s other semi saw Calgary Blizzard and CS Mont-Royal Outremont face off. These two teams were in the competition for the second year running. Both sides had clinched their spot the previous week, as the Blizzard won League1 Alberta, while CSMRO prevailed in Ligue1 Quebec.
The Blizzard would take the lead just a few minutes before the break. Shaden Al-Asad’s free kick was spilled by Lea Palacio-Tellier, with Annalise Cicoria the first to get to the rebound and fire it home.
CSMRO went on the attack after the restart as they looked for a leveller. In the 65th minute, that equalizer came. Osamede Iyare’s free kick from distance went into the top corner beyond an outstretched Lauren Houghton.
A matter of moments later, last year’s finalists were able to complete the comeback. Ariana Loisel’s cross was hit towards goal by Devon Vermaire. The ball took spun into the bottom corner past Houghton, and CSMRO had the lead.
The Blizzard tried to get a goal to tie things up, but in the end, they fell just short. For the second year in a row, they fell at the semifinal stage.
Inter-Provincial Championship Third Place: Blizzard Goes One Better
Just as was the case last year, the Blizzard partook in the third place playoff. This time, they faced Altitude. The opening goal came 28 minutes in, when Kamble Paterson played in Jordan Smith. The attacker did well to hold off her marker before putting it beyond Kelsey Fisher.
Altitude got on the scoreboard in the 42nd minute. A corner which was misjudged by Houghton comes off Kiara Kilbey and goes in. That was the BC team’s first goal of the tournament.
The local team retook the lead at around the hour mark, via another corner kick. This time, Al-Asad was left alone in the six-yard box as she headed it in from close range.
Altitude became desperate in their push for another equalizer. Just as it seemed they had ran out of time, they find the back of the net. Ella Sunde is there to get to a ball that was coughed up by Houghton.
Penalties decided the outcome in this one. All five of the Blizzard’s spot kicks were converted. Unfortunately for Altitude, Holly Whelan’s attempt was stopped by Houghton in the third round. Paige Payne, who went next for the North Vancouver side, also had her penalty initially denied. However, the referee ordered it to be retaken. Despite converting that, the Albertans finished things off by scoring their last kick.
The Blizzard prevailed 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time. They managed to do one better than last year, when they lost both games.
Inter-Provincial Championship Final: Rovers Become National Champions
Simcoe County Rovers, the first team from Ontario to reach the tournament’s final, took on CSMRO in this year’s showpiece. The Griffons were at this stage for the second year in a row as Quebec continued their streak of being represented in the final.
The first half was a tight battle between two well-matched teams. A total of 13 shots, seven of which were on target, highlighted a competitive opening 45 minutes. CSMRO had to make an early substitution due to an injury, but they adapted well as they were still in the match.
Simcoe took the lead midway through the second period. Handley was at it again with her set pieces. On this occasion, it was a free kick, which was well shot. Palacio-Tellier managed to get a hand on the effort, but the Rovers’ number 20 produced a brilliant kick to put her team in front.
Once again, CSMRO found themselves behind, but still had a quarter of the game left. However, they were unable to break down this excellent Rovers team.
Simcoe was able to kill a lot of time, especially in the final 10 minutes. They scored a second in stoppage time to seal the match. Adriane Devlin’s free kick picked out Rowe in the area as she headed it towards goal. Palacio-Tellier was beaten, as Kasey Koscher could only kick the ball into her own net.
The Rovers held on for the 2-0 win, and became the first team from Ontario to win the League1 Canada Interprovincial Championship. It was more heartbreak for the Griffons, who once again finished second.
League1 Ontario: Promotion Playoffs Provide Drama
Outside of the Interprovincial Championship, League1 Ontario also had a couple of key games. Both of them came in the form of promotion playoffs.
The first one, which came on Friday night, saw FC London host Hamilton United Elite for the final place in the Premier Division for next season.
Jaya Lecky converted a penalty for the visitors in the 77th minute as they looked to finally achieve promotion to the top division. Hamilton was just about to get over the line, only for London to level in the 95th minute through Gabby Kohut.
After extra time resolved nothing, penalty kicks were ultimately required. Lecky, who converted her spot kick during normal time, saw her second attempt denied by London keeper Samantha St. Croix. She was not the only one, as the next two Hamilton penalties were also stopped by the host’s goalie.
The first two London kicks were scored, before the third was saved by Madeleine Boucher. By then, however, the damage was already done. Cassandra Campanella skied her penalty right after that, ending the shootout. London prevailed 2-0 and maintained their Premier Division status. Hamilton will remain in the Championship Division next year.
The other playoff match was in League2 Ontario, as Railway City hosted Cambridge United. Since Woodbridge Strikers B won the playoffs but refused promotion, as per the league’s rules, the top two A teams from the regular season squared off.
It took Railway just five minutes to go in front through Thalia Lievano. The side from St. Thomas, who was unbeaten against their opponents in their regular season meetings, was up early on.
However, Cambridge, who finished third in the Southwest Conference, did not back down. Midway through the first half, Anastasia Kraja levelled the score. Then, heading into the final 10 minutes, she scored again to complete the comeback.
Railway tried to grab a second goal to force extra time, but it never came. The visitors were able to hold on, and pull off the upset to achieve promotion to the Championship Division for next season.
While the League1 Canada season on the women’s side is virtually done, there is still the matter of the Ligue2 Quebec playoffs still to be decided. At the time of writing, there is no word on when it will conclude.
AS Brossard, who defeated CS Trois-Rivieres in their playoff semifinal, awaits the winner of CS Trident and CS St-Laurent in the final. The winning team will join Lakeshore SC in being promoted to the top flight.
