April 30, 2024...Weekly Rewind April 30, 2024 (from League1 Ontario website)
WEEKLY REWIND
The new men’s and women’s divisional campaigns got under way for 2024, with some high-scoring games and late goals taking the spotlight.
First-Night Victors
The Men’s Premier Division’s opener saw 2023 regular-season winners Scrosoppi defeat 10-player Sigma 2-0.
With the scoreline level at half-time, and following a red card to Simon Guardiero early in the second half,
goals from Khody Ellis and Tomasz Skublak sealed the victory for the visitors.
NDC Ontario got their Women’s Premier Division campaign off to a solid start by the same scoreline against
Guelph United. Strikes from Bryana Gaynor and Mikayla Coore-Pascal wrapped up a 2-0 success at the
Ontario Soccer Centre.
At Championship level, Pickering’s women and TFC Academy both scored four as they saw off ProStars and Darby
4-0 and 4-1 respectively with L1ON returnee Hollie Babut netting a memorable hat-trick.
After a five-goal thriller in the Men’s L1 Cup First Round, North Mississauga and St Catharines Roma Wolves
played out another nailbiter. Ronaldo Homenszki’s double looked to have won it for the visitors, only
for North Mississauga’s Andrew Demusz to equalize dramatically in the sixth minute of added time.
Squeaky Saturday
The only Women’s Premier Division clash on Saturday saw FC London welcome Woodbridge Strikers to Tricar Field.
The hosts ran out 2-1 winners thanks to a double from Julia Benati, with Jessica Lisi’s penalty in the third
minute of added time proving not enough to share the points.
The Men’s Premier Division’s Guelph United took the trip to Hamilton United, and Jared Agyemang’s winning goal
from the spot in the 66th minute was enough for the visitors to take all three points.
Four goals were shared between ProStars and Alliance United, three of which came in the first half as Alliance
took a slender lead into the half-time break. A late strike from Noah Bickford broke the visitors’ stubborn
defence and saw the points shared between the two teams.
There was also late drama in the Women’s Championship as Ava Mills netted twice in the last 15 minutes to give
Tecumseh United a 3-2 win over Rush Canada.
In the men’s second tier, FC London beat Windsor City 2-1 thanks to a Jonathan Agapito injury-time goal,
Unionville Milliken defeated Master’s FA 1-0, and BVB IA Waterloo began their men’s regular season with a 2-1
win against Pickering after their women’s team had also won 3-0 on Thursday.
Goals galore
The Men’s Premier Division was home to a six-goal thriller between Blue Devils and Woodbridge Strikers on Sunday.
A brace from Ronaldo Marshall put the visitors 2-1 in front at half-time, and after Samer Hamade’s equalizer,
Patrick Perriel sent the hosts 3-2 up in the 89th minute. Yet, Anthony Morano was on hand to secure a point
for the Strikers moments later.
Burlington came out on top against 10-player North Toronto in an entertaining clash which saw five goals.
With the visiting North Toronto 2-0 up at half-time, a second-half comeback from the home side, which included
a double for Augustus Oku, saw the hosts edge out their opposition 3-2. The victory was made all the more sweeter
for Oku whose second goal was a game-winning bicycle kick in injury time.
Last season’s champions Simcoe County Rovers opened their new campaign with a late tie at Vaughan Azzurri.
Reshaun Walkes’ strike put the hosts in front in the 57th minute, before a last-gasp leveler from Justyn Thomas
rescued a point for the visitors.
The exact same fixture was the opener for both sides in the Women’s Premier Division; only this time,
Vaughan Azzurri would come out on top 2-1. Kalifornia Mitchell and Nia Fleming-Thompson were the goalscorers
for the hosts.
North Toronto gave North Mississauga a second-half masterclass, which saw a brace for Jade Kovacevic and a further
strike from Morgan Fenton, to take home three points.
Alliance United went one better, as they comfortably dispatched Blue Devils 4-0 at the Sheridan Trafalgar Campus.
A brace from Holly Whelan, as well as further goals from Miranda Badovinac and Laura Gosse, wrapped up a big win
for the visitors.
The Women’s Championship continued on Sunday with Torrie Grant-Clavijo netting a winner in the fourth minute of injury
time against Scrosoppi, spoiling their League1 Ontario women’s divisional debut. The game finished 3-2,
and Grant-Clavijo began the season with a brace.
Darby also picked up three points as they defeated Burlington 2-1, getting their Women’s Championship campaign off
to a great start.
PUBLISHED ON: 30 APRIL 2024
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