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Result and details of the Sunday August 6, 2017 League 1 Ontario Women's Cup Final
between Woodbridge Strikers and FC London held at The Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 6:00pm.

Woodbridge Strikers (white socks and shirts, blue shorts and numbers)

Subs:...25 Samantha Beckles (gk)...5 Fallon Rodrigues...7 Nicola Kozlova...13 Rebecca Oliveira
...14 Calaigh Copland
team officials:...team head coach David Porco...assistant coaches Gabriele Cremonese and Mario Gagliardi
...manager Adam Candido...physio/therapist Barb Paraskevakous

FC London (navy socks, shorts and shoulders, neon green shirts, white numbers)

.................................0 Emily Gillet
20 Jenna Hong...16 Alex Clements...5 Daniela Strano...12 Cierra Thomas
21 Robyn Scott...23 Chelsea Zavitz...6 Denis Fortin...19 Ashley Campbell
............9 Jade Kovacevic...11 Marissa Oliviera

Subs:...1 Alana Richardson (gk)...10 Nicole Nielsen...17 Kaila Novak...18 Claire Monyard
...24 Sarah Vanderlaan
team officials:...team head coach Michael Marcoccia...manager Jay Sandford

Game officials:...referee Kim Lee...referee's assistants ???????????? and Kevin Kim
fourth official John Ross Scarcelli Jr...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 6:06pm...WS defends north end.
2 min...FCL Campbell rush on left and rolls ball across box at 7 yards. It's partially cleared
and FCL Oliviera shoots 25 yarder down middle well over net.
3 min...FCL Oliviera 15 yard shot from right is caught by goalie.
4 min...FCL Campbell cornerkick from right is cleared on left side of box.
5 min...FCL Thomas 22 yard shot from left is caught by goalie.
5 min...FCL Kovacevic rush on left and rolls ball from 20 yards along 6 yard line
and sliding FCL Campbell can't redirect ball at 6 yards.
7 min...FCL Kovacevic run on left cuts in and 12 yard roller from left is smothered by goalie
on left post.
12 min...FCL Ashley Campbell GOAL...FCL Jade Kovacevic rush on left rolls ball through box
from 20 yards near 6 yard line. An FCL player in the middle misses but Campbell takes 12 yard shot
from a tough angle on the right into left corner of net.
14 min...FCL Kovacevic cross from 15 yards near left end line drifts behind net.
15 min...WS Yekka rush on left but is checked off ball inside box without getting shot.
18 min...FCL Jade Kovacevic GOAL...Kovacevic on run on left cuts into middle at 18 yards and bends
shot inwards into right corner of net.
25 min...FCL Fortin 25 yard shot from left is well over net.
26 min...FCL Scott chips 25 yarder from right that goalie catches over head at 6 yards.
28 min...FCL Oliiviera 28 yard shot through players has flying goalie push wide left and get
up to pick up ball.
29 min...FCL Campbell run down left for pass and quick 25 yard shot is wide left.
31 min...FCL Oliviera is tapped pass and 25 yard shot dips onto roof of net.
33 min...FCL Kovacevic at 20 yards rolls ball forward and FCL Campbell is called offside as she
rolls 12 yarder into right corner of net.
35 min...FCL Scott 30 yard down middle is over players and caught by goalie.
37 min...WS player's cornerkick has defender on left head behind own goal.
37 min...WS player's cornerkick from left has defender on left head ball away from box.
39 min...FCL Campbell follow up shot when FCL player is checked off ball from 25 yards is wide right.
40 min...FCL Campbell on left rolls ball to center and FCL Zavitz shoots over net.
41 min...FCL Zavitz 22 yard shot down middle is caught by goalie.
43 min...FCL Kovacevic low cross from 22 yards on left has defender stop in center and FCL Zavitz
shoots 22 yarder down middle over net.
44 min...FCL Zavitz cornerkick from right is tapped out and hafltime whistled blown.
45 min...half ends 6:51pm.

2nd Half:...starts 7:08pm.
halftime subs:...WS Olveira replaces Meneses.
...............WS Kozlova replaces Yekka.
45 min...FCL Ashley Campbell GOAL...Campbell with ball at 20 yards lofts shot into top left corner
of net over goalie Alyssa Abernot.
47 min...WS player's cornerkick from left is tapped back to WS Kozlova and her cross from 20 yards
bounces to goalie on right post.
49 min...FCL Kovacevic rolls through ball pass from 22 yards up middle and FCL Campbell low 12 yard shot
blocked point blank by sliding goalie.
51 min...WS LoFranco 40 yard shot from left is caught by goalie on bounce.
51 min...FCL player's 25 yard shot from left s deflected for cornerkick.
52 min...FCL player's cornerkick from left has defenders clear up middle for fast break out.
53 min...FCL Scott low 25 yard shot is saved.
54 min...FCL player's 22 yard shot from left is stopped by sliding goalie but rolls out for cornerkick.
55 min...FCL players work out cornerkick from left and cross is palmed by goalie into center of box
and defenders clear.
56 min...FCL Kovacevic eludes defender on chip to herself and passes right but unplayed.
57 min...FCL Oiviera rolls 28 yard shot to goalie.
58 min...FCL Kovacevic 25 yard shot from left is caught by goalie.
58 min...WS sub...Copland replaces Pulins.
59 min...WS Kozlova eludes two tackles on run down left and cuts to middle but has 15 yard shot blocked.
WS Raimondo rebound at 20 yards is also blocked.
61 min...FCL Kovacevic after shot rush rolls 22 yard shot wide right.
61 min...FCL sub...Nielsen replaces Zavitz.
63 min...WS Kozlova good run down right but is surrounded by defenders. She rolls pass to WS Da Rocha
and 28 yard shot is caught by goalie on bounce wide left of net.
65 min...WS Appleton 40 yard freekick from right is cleared just inside box. WS player shoots 25 yarder
down middle over net.
66 min...FCL sub...Novak replaces Scott.
........FCL sub...Vanderlaan replaces Campbell.
67 min...WS Tolnai 30 yard freekick from left is caught by charging goalie.
68 min...WS goalie dives on ball before FCL Nielsen can get to it on rght side of box.
70 min...FCL Oliviera 25 yard shot down middle is deflected wide right for cornerkick.
71 min...FCL Nielsen cornerkick from right has goaloie in crowd of players punch ball forward.
72 min...FCL Marissa Oliviera GOAL...Oliviera recovers partial clearance at 25 yards in middle and blasts
shot through crowd of players into top right corner of goal.
73 min...FCL Novak rush down left and 25 yard shot is caught by goalie.
74 mind...FCL Nielsen on run down middle eludes goalie at 12 yards but WS Meneses with her makes Neilsen push ball
to far forward and she clears it.
75 min...FCL sub...Alana Richardson replaces Emily Gillet in goal.
75 min...WS Appleton 30 yard freekick from right has WS Copland header in box that's cleared.
76 min...FCL Kovacevic run down mddle to push past goale but defender pokes ball away.
77 min...FCL Kaila Novak GOAL...Novak has shot from 15 yards on left blocked but recovers and gets rebound
from nearly the same spot and shoots into top right corner.
78 min...WS sub...Rodrigues replaces Tolnai.
........FCL sub...Monyard replaces Clements.
80 min...WS player's low cross into box from right has shot attempts blocked. WS player's 28 yard chip is to goalie.
82 min...WS Lindsay Appleton GOAL...WS Lauren Raimondo rolls 28 yard freekick from middle over to right. Appleton
at 25 yards on right chips low cross that eludes goalie Alana Richardson and catches inside of left post
on the bounce.
83 min...WS Rodriguez 30 yard shot is caught by goalie.
85 min...FCL Nielsen rush down right and cross near end line from 25 yards is over leaping FCL Kovacevic at 6 yards
on left post.
88 min...FCL Marissa Oliviera GOAL...Oliviera takes 50 yard chip shot that finds WS goalie out at 18 yards and ball
bounces into net while chased by retreating goalie.
88 min...WS Raimondo 25 yard shot from right is caught by goalie.
93 min...FCL Kovacevic rush to 15 yards and shot has goalie save and her rebound too. WS goalie also stops rebound
by FCL teammate.
94 min...WS YELLOW card...LoFranco earns it for knock down in center circle or kicking ball away after whistle.
95 min...game ends 7:58pm.

Final Score:...FC London........6......Woodbridge Strikers......1.....

Attendance was about 250 on this mild mostly overcast day. The crowd 
was about 2 to 1 pro-London fans which was impressive because the 
city is about a four hour drive away.

This is the only L1O Women's game I've attended this season. On the 
Men's side including later tonight I've been to 33. With TFC and TFC II 
games I don't have time to write up anything more.   I did attend 
the Canadian Women's National team when they beat Costa Rica back 
in June but I can't say I'm an expert on the women's side 
of this league.

London dominated possession and the Strikers rarely got 
within 30 yards of the FCL goal. Later some league and team 
officials were discussing this game as 'Women against Girls'. 
Game sheets I was given just give a breakdown of 'U-23' 
(i.e. 'Y' or 'N').  London went with a roster of seven starters 
Not U-23s with four U-23s and all five on their bench were U-23s 
who all got into the action starting at 61 minutes. Woodbridge 
only had three players who were not U-23s and two of those 
started on the bench.

The MVP for the game was awarded to FCL Denise Fortin for her 
strong midfield play.

Referee Kim Lee (a woman) gave out only one Yellow card 
(to Woodbridge) that I noticed and that was not until well into 
second half injury time. Usually by the third WS pass, 
London had regained possession.

I read stories on the L1O website each week about London and 
see midfielder Jade Kovacevic mentioned often. No wonder 
as she has 20 goals in 11 games! I remember her from going 
to Toronto Lady Lynx games in the now defunct W-League. After 
this game I asked her if she used to commute all the way from 
London for every game. She answered me that she was from 
Georgetown and later moved to London to attend Fanshawe College.
She has graduated now in Business Marketing and still lives there. 
(Georgetown is about one hour's drive north west of Toronto).

I also kept thinking I knew the name Ashley Campbell from 
somewhere. At home I realized I'd followed her three years 
of Lady Lynx seasons—2012 to 2014 (Kovacevic was just 2013 that 
I could find). Both players played for the Canadian U-20 team 
but now at age 23 and 24 are forgotten about. However with the 
Canadian Women's team ranked third or fourth in the world, 
I'm going to sit back and not make any suggestions.

In regular L1O league play, London has a record of 7 wins, 
2 losses, 2 ties for 23 points and second place—actually 
in a three way tie but with games in hand on the two other teams. 
They are on a seven game unbeaten streak since the middle of June. 
Hmm Ashley Campbell's first game was June 23 so I'm sure that's 
part of the reason! FCL is tied for best defence only allowing 
nine goals.

Woodbridge has a record of 5 wins, 6 losses, 2 ties for 17 points 
and are in eighth of the eleven team league.

First place team is North Mississauga Panthers 7 wins, 1 loss, 
4 ties for 25 points. NMP is the other team that has only 
allowed nine goals.

I got marooned on the east side of the field for the men's 
game waiting for game rosters as the L1O Men's Cup Final 
started right after the Women's trophy presentation.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
Twitter @RocketRobin01

Woodbine Strikers starters

FC London starters

FCL Marissa Oliviera (11) takes opening kickoff.

FCL Jade Kovacevic (9) dribbles ball upfield.

WS Lauren Raimondo (12) takes second half kickoff.

WS Ashley LoFranco (8) takes freekick.

FCL captain Jade Kovacevic is presented with the L1O league Cup.

FC London players pose with the Cup.

FC London players pose with their fans.

back to 2017 League 1 Ontario Men's index

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