Goals 18 minutes apart by Christina Guay and Natalie Miller in the first half turned a close contest with the Morinville Ladies into a comfortable victory for Mavericks 09 in the St. Albert Women’s Soccer League.
Sunday’s match at Forest Park field between the perennial SAWSL championship contenders was knotted at one when Guay scored her first goal of the season in the 19th minute with a well-placed shot past keeper Danielle Lafond.
Miller’s run-and-gun marker was her second for the 5-0 Mavericks (33 GF/six GA) in the single division round robin.
“We started to hit players’ feet rather than sending it too far ahead of our players because Dani comes out quite well so once we were doing that we could knock it in,” said Lindsey Hornung, a veteran Maverick who filled in at sweeper instead of going for goals at striker. “We were also spreading out the field, switching it around and then hitting the players in the right spot in the holes.”
Suzanne Schulz’s team-leading 10th goal opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Morinville replied four minutes later with a sharp header by Suzanne Douziech off “a perfect free kick.”
“It was lobbed over their defence and I was able to just head it in to the net. It slipped through the goalie’s fingers,” Douziech said of her league-high 12th goal.
In the second half, the 2014 playoff cup winners peppered Lafond with a variety of difficult shots and in the 65th minute Meagan Tauber curled a nifty shot into the far corner for her fourth goal to put the game out of reach.
“At the beginning we were a little bit more into the game I guess and then we got a little bit discouraged near the end. They have a lot of subs and they were passing really well and moving around the field. They definitely had us in our end for most of the game, especially when we got down and I think that kind of sucked out a little bit of energy out of the team,” said Douziech.
In the 39th minute, Douziech was in prime scoring position when she labelled a shot to the short side that forced keeper Sue Forest-Trainer to make a diving stab at the ball that appeared to have crossed the line by the slimmest of margins but play continued. Douziech made it clear she had scored but there are no linesmen for SAWSL matches and the referee was too far away to have a good look at the play.
“It was very close. That definitely may have changed the momentum there in the game for sure. To get another goal always keeps you in it and the further you get down the more discouraging it is,” said Douziech, who nearly scored off the ensuing corner kick after the controversial non-goal.
Douziech, 27, is arguable SAWSL’s most dangerous striker as a multiple Golden Boot scoring champion. Her 20 goals last year led all players in the single division scoring race.
“What works well is the formation that we have. Our players are all playing positions they’re really comfortable in so the passes are good and they’re able to set me up a lot of the time so it’s definitely a team effort."
The loss dropped Morinville’s record to 3-1-1 (27 GF/13 GA) in the single division round-robin format to determine the five division one teams and the six division two teams for the second half of the season.
“We’re having a pretty good season so far. We’ve lost a few players due pregnancy and other things so people are shuffling around a little bit and everybody is getting a little more comfortable where they’re playing so things are starting to come together,” Douziech said.
Last year, Morinville was 12-3-2 in league play after losing 2-0 to the Mavericks in the playoff final.
The last time Morinville beat the Mavericks was 2011 and the 5-2 result clinched a berth at the Tier 4 provincials and the division one pennant.
“It’s been a few years,” Douziech said of the winless drought. “It’s always fun to have a little bit of a rivalry. You get revved up for the game and we want to win. It’s close sometimes and all we can do is just strive to be better the next game.”
Hornung, 35, agreed it’s always big game when the Mavericks and Morinville lock horns.
“Morinville is always a good game. We know it’s going to be fun and competitive,” said the Mavericks’ second-leading scorer with six goals.
The Mavericks are the team to beat after finished 20-0 overall last year as Tier 3 provincials champions – the first Alberta Soccer Association gold medal by a SAWSL team – and division one playoff cup.
“We’re not going to get overzealous but it would be really fun if we could do it again,” said Hornung, who split time with Leanne Kovacs marking Douziech. “Our mindset is a little bit different this year too. It’s all about trying to better ourselves in every way possible.”
