Whitecaps Women Defeat Los Angeles

Vancouver Whitecaps women earned their first win of the young USL W-League season, defeating the expansion Los Angeles Legends 2-1 at Swangard Stadium on Friday night.

Veteran defender Randee Hermus, playing her first game for the club in two years, netted the winner from a header in the second half. The two teams had traded goals in the first half, with Vancouver forward Selenia Iacchelli replying just a minute after LA had opened scoring.

The Whitecaps were without three of their key performers from last week’s home opener, as forwards Jonelle Filigno and Jodi-Ann Robinson, and defender Emily Zurrer had all been called up to play for Canada in a pair of games away to Australia. Hermus, however, had missed the Australia trip through illness, allowing her to rejoin the Whitecaps squad. Also added to the starting line-up were defenders Myriam Bouchard and Taryne Boudreau, and midfielder Chelsea Stewart, with Bouchard making her Whitecaps debut. Another player who would make her debut in this game was second half substitute Karla Schacher.

The opening exchanges were fairly even. Tiffeny Milbrett headed over the crossbar from good position on 12 minutes, while at the other end, Lynsey Domene forced Whitecaps goalkeeper Erin McNulty into a decent save on 23 minutes.

The Whitecaps began controlling more and more of the play as the half progressed, keeping the Legends pinned in their own end for long stretches. Midfielder Kaylyn Kyle came close with a header on 32 minutes, and then again three minutes later with a shot on a quick break. Both attempts were stopped by LA goalkeeper Breanna Truelove.

The visitors then scored against the run of play. On minute 38, defender Geminesse Martinez did well to keep the ball in play in her own half on the right, then fired a diagonal ball forward that found Sarah Yoro breaking. She fired the ball past the onrushing McNulty from 20 yards out to give the visitors a surprise lead and their first-ever goal as a W-League club.

The Whitecaps wasted no time replying, however. A minute later and the LA defence failed to deal with a Milbrett corner kick from the left, with the ball popping up and then dropping for Iacchelli 12 yards out. She half-volleyed the ball into the net, despite the best efforts of Martinez to clear it off the goal-line.

It was 1-1 at halftime.

Throughout the game, the pace of Whitecaps 18-year-old midfielder Chelsea Stewart caused problems for the LA defence. According to coach Bob Birarda, “If you did one of those time-motion analysis studies on Stewart, you would see that she covers 12 to 14 kilometers in a game. She’s a good footballer; I’m impressed by her a lot.”

Stewart was at her most dangerous after the restart. On 51 minutes, she fired over the bar from good position, and then two minutes later, broke into the box and forced Truelove into a superb diving save.

From the ensuing corner kick, Vancouver scored. Milbrett from the left hit it to the near post where a defender headed it away to the top of the box. Kaylyn Kyle nodded it back towards goal and Hermus was in the right spot to get a head to it, flicking the ball over the Legends goalkeeper and into the net on minute 54.

“I didn’t really expect to be here,” said Hermus, “I was unfortunate to come down with strep throat before the Canadian team went to Australia, so I had to stay back here. I guess it was a little blessing in disguise to suit up for the Whitecaps, and I’m glad to have made an impact.”

Coach Birarda too was pleased to have Hermus back in the squad, and praised her contributions in the build-up to the game. “Randee trained with us all week and it’s been great to have her pass on advice and feedback to the younger players.”

The Whitecaps could have added to their lead, but Truelove was on hand to stop a curling free kick from Milbrett on minute 58 and a crisp header from Stewart ten minutes after that.

The Legends’ best chance to draw level came with ten minutes left on the clock, as substitute Briann Oostinga surged into the box on the right. However, her hard shot was stopped by McNulty, who went on to record her first win as a Whitecaps goalkeeper.

90 FULL MINUTES
“We played really hard tonight,” said Milbrett. “We dug it out and got our first win. In the locker room, on the pitch, or after the game, this is a close group. That is really helping on the field.”

Coach Birarda was also satisfied with the outcome. “It was hard losing those players from last week, and we had some big shape problems in the first half, but the team responded really well in the second half. We’re happy to get the result.”

Los Angeles coach Jason Surrell credited Vancouver’s solid play for the win, and hopes for better things from his young squad in the future. “Vancouver are a good team,” he said, “they’re very organized and you can tell that they’ve played together. We’ve had literally one game together and started to train a month ago. Our first game last Saturday, some of the girls didn’t even know each others names, so we’re building from there. It’s exciting to come and play in a quality stadium and a good crowd, even though they are rooting against you. I know the girls have enjoyed it, so it’s been a great experience.”

The Whitecaps now head off on a two-game road trip to Colorado, as they take on Real Colorado Cougars on Wednesday, May 28, and the Fort Collins Force two days later. Coach Birarda knows these games will pose quite a challenge for his young team. “Hopefully, we will have a full roster to pick from next week,” Birarda said, “but it’s not easy going into altitude to play those two games in a couple of nights. I think we really needed the three points tonight.”

Scoring Summaries
38′ 0-1 Sarah Yoro (Geminesse Martinez)
Martinez on the right side of midfield did well to keep the ball in play before sending a teasing ball forward. It went beyond the last Whitecaps defender and ran nicely for Yoro, who slotted it past the keeper for LA’s first ever W-League goal.

39′ 1-1 Selenia Iacchelli
Tiffeny Milbrett’s corner kick from the left was headed half-clear by a cluster of defenders at the far post and dropped for Iacchelli 12 yards out. She hit a half-volley which went in off defender Geminesse Martinez on the goal-line for Iacchelli’s first goal of the season.

54′ 2-1 Randee Hermus (Kaylyn Kyle)
Milbrett’s corner kick from the left was headed clear at the near post, but only went as far as Kyle at the top of the box. She headed it back in front where Hermus, four yards out, nodded it over the keeper and in.

Game Stats VAN-LA
Shots … 16 – 4
Saves … 2 – 7
Fouls … 7 – 7
Offsides … 4 – 2
Corners … 6 – 1

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Erin McNulty; 10.Randee Hermus, 4.Lexi Morton, 6.Myriam Bouchard, 28.Taryne Boudreau (3.Shannon Woeller 74′); 18.Monica Lam-Feist (21.Paige Adams 62′), 8.Kaylyn Kyle (23.Tina Romagnuolo 82′), 13.Chelsea Stewart; 25.Tiffeny Milbrett, 11.Selenia Iacchelli, 9.Julie Armstrong (24.Karla Schacher 74′)

Subs not used: 26.Justine Bernier, 7.Rita Keimakh, 29.Allysha Chapman

Los Angeles Legends
0.Breanna Truelove; 8.Casey Schostag, 11.Geminesse Martinez (25.Courtney Price 45′), 12.Randie Massro, 13.Ashley Salas; 7.Lynsey Domene (24.Aissa Sanchez 80′), 10.Lauryn Welch, 16.Shannon Jenkins, 26.Jackie Hovda (18.Briann Oostinga 69′) ; 5.Katie Rorabaugh (3.Bridget Brotherton 69′), 6.Sarah Yoro (15.Niccole Grimaldi 62′)

Subs not used: 19.Lauren Vroom