First Win For Whitecaps Women, Kate Qually Scores Winner

VENTURA, CA – Vancouver Whitecaps FC women recorded their first win of the season, as they downed the homeside Ventura County Fusion 3-1 Saturday night.

Forward Kate Qually scored the winner just before halftime while young Nikki Wright added the insurance goal. Ventura County’s Jazmarae Strozier opened scoring early, and then cancelled out the lead with an own goal.

Head coach Alan Koch made three changes from Thursday’s lineup. Goalkeeper Stephanie Panozzo, 19-years-old, made her W-League debut. Sophie Schmidt flew in to rejoin the team, returning to central midfield in a 4-3-3 formation, with Amy Vermeulen then pushing up front, replacing Kirsteen Buchan. Finally, defender Carmelina Moscato was a late scratch through illness, and was replaced by Rachael Pelat.

Vancouver took the game to their hosts from the outset, and ended up out shooting them 8-2. However, Fusion opened the scoring on a counter-attack, as 18-year-old Jazmarae Strozier fired the home side to the lead after just eight minutes, giving Panozzo no chance.

Five minutes later, Strozier flattened midfielder Sophie Schmidt with a hard challenge, earning a yellow card. Schmidt had to come off minutes later, replaced by Kirsteen Buchan.

Vancouver was undeterred by these setbacks and continued to push forward, with defender Rachael Pelat in particular making some good forays down the right.

On 25′, off a Vancouver corner kick by Katie Thorlakson, Strozier knocked the ball into her own net under pressure from Jodi-Ann Robinson to make it 1-1.

Though chances were few for both teams for much of the first half, Whitecaps did manage to take a 2-1 lead into the dressing room, scoring a minute before the break. Amy Vermeulen started the play with a great tackle in midfield to win the ball, and then threaded it through for Kate Qually, who rolled it wide of the keeper and inside the post.

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