W-League Canada: June 28, 2009 Report

Whitecaps Women Tie Colorado
NEW WESTMINSTER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC women battled to a 1-1 draw with the visiting Colorado Force of Fort Collins, at New Westminster’s Mercer Stadium, Sunday afternoon.

Jodi-Ann Robinson opened scoring for Vancouver on one of two Whitecaps penalty kicks in the second half, before Force midfielder Monica Dolinsky evened it up with a brilliant free kick with a quarter-hour remaining.

Whitecaps head coach Alan Koch kept virtually the same starters in the last game away to Pali Blues, with the only change being in goal, where 19-year-old rookie Stephanie Panozzo took the field in place of Sian Bagshawe.

Vancouver threatened in the opening minutes with Amy Vermeulen looking sharp on the left. Just four minutes in, she curled a dangerous ball in front, which Kate Qually just failed to redirect past Force goalkeeper Maria Del Guercia.

The visitors then produced two early scares. On 9′, speedy winger Nikki Marshall broke quickly down the right, out-pacing two Vancouver players before cutting in on goal and hitting the crossbar with a sharp-angle shot. Then on 16′ a loose ball in front wasn’t cleared, and Colorado forward Shay Powell hooked a high dipping shot on net. Panozzo was just able to touch against the crossbar and then gather the ball when it dropped.

Vancouver’s play in the first half lacked urgency and good chances were few. The home side’s best moment came on 21′, as Robinson twisted and turned at the top of the box, then hit a powerful shot which the keeper did well to parry.

On 44′ the visitors threatened again, as Shay Powell moved in on the right and blaster a hard shot that went just over the near post.

It was scoreless at halftime, and coach Koch knew his team could do better. “We had no intensity in the first 45,” he said after the game. “We have to win every challenge.”

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Fury Move Into First Place
OTTAWA – The Ottawa Fury Women (7-0-1) took on the Quebec City Amirals (7-3-0) in a battle for first place in the Great Lakes Division less than 24 hours drawing the Laval Cometes 1-1.

After a scoreless first half Amber Hearn converted a Michelle Evans cross hammering it into the top of the goal for her W-League leading ninth goal of the season giving the Fury the 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute.

Hearn’s goal proved to be the difference as the Fury extent their undefeated season to eight games.

Jasmine Phillips collected her sixth win and fourth shutout of the season as the Fury become one of only five W-League teams that remain unbeaten.

Next Game: Saturday, July 4 vs Hamilton Avalanche – 7:00 pm Kick-Off at the Algonquin College Soccer Complex.

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Buffalo buries Hamilton 5-0
ORCHARD PARK, NY — Buffalo Flash made it nine goals in two games with none conceded after a second half goal blitz, marking the second time this season the Flash have turned a 0-0 home halftime scoreline into a 5-0 win as they put away the Hamilton Avalanche Sunday.

Five goals in 15 second half minutes from Maria Ruiz, Erika Sutton (two), Rosie Tantillo and Brooke Barbuto, allowed Buffalo to turn their dominance into three well earned points, and the scoreline to reflect their superiority.

The first half was full of rain, but void of many clear cut chances. The best came after Ruiz was tripped in the box, but Sarah Wagenfuhr saw her resulting penalty saved by Avalanche captain Amy Holt, who was unbeatable for the first hour of the game.

As the rain cleared, so came the flood of goals. After 66 minutes Shaylyn Lawrence picked up her first point of the season, in assisting Ruiz’s goal. Lawrence broke free down the right wing, before bending her cross straight onto the head of the Spanish striker, whose header was angled perfectly into the bottom left of the net, for her eighth goal of the season.

Seven minutes later, Sutton, pushed into a more advanced left sided role, than she’d began the game in, latched onto the end of a Jessica O’Rourke through-ball, and slotted home with the outside of her right foot, to double the hosts’ lead.

Another four minutes passed before Tantillo picked up a Ruiz pass, and placed her left footed effort into the corner of the net from near the penalty spot.

At this point, the floodgates opened and in the 79th minute, Sutton matched her feat of last week against Laval, when she smashed a 35 yard strike into the top corner of the net. It was another fantastic strike, and her second goal of the game.

Less than two minutes later, substitute Barbuto rounded off the scoring, with a nice dribble into the box, drop of the shoulder, and comfortable finish, her first for the Flash. In doing so, she remarkably became the 12th Buffalo Flash outfielder to score this season – only nine games in – from a roster of only 15 outfielders.

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Other Results
Ottawa Fury 1, Laval Comets 1
Hamilton Avalanche 6, Rochester Ravens 0
London Gryphons 6, Rochester Ravens 2