SENECA 4, ST. LAWRENCE (K) 1

Frustration was starting to set in. The player was sloppy. Communication was poor. The team was watching their chance to remain in contention in the competitive OCAA East Division slip away. All of this was coming at the hands of a team who came into the match without a victory on the season.

The Seneca Sting entered halftime trailing 1-0 at Newnham Campus Field on Saturday afternoon with a look of dejection, walking to their locker room in groups, rather than as a team. It is unknown what was said during halftime, but the team returned as one and may have played their best half of soccer this season.

Seneca caught their first break of the match in the 60th minute. A crossing attempt was headed perfectly over the Vikings' keeper in the direction of the open goal. Slowing losing speed, second year David Alva broke to the ball and directed the ball across the goal line to even the score at one apiece.

Less than a minute later, rookie Malven Francis showed great hustle, beating his defender and striking a shot past Vikings' keeper Gereon Bayer for the go ahead goal. A celebration ensued on the field as the Sting finally had something to show for their hard work while the visiting Vikings looked stunned.

In the 73rd minute, Seneca struck again off a free kick. Malven Francis struck the ball past the blocking defenders from 25-yards out. The ball bounced once into the bottom left corner of the net past a diving Bayer.

The home team was not done with their offensive flurry. Jamil Thompson took a pass from rookie Michael Duran and put a fourth goal of the second half past the Vikings' keeper to complete the second half rally.

In the first half, Seneca started quickly, but St. Lawrence (K) quickly took control of the action, causing mismatches for the Sting defenders. Bayer robbed Casey Marksman in the fifth minute while Vikings' Joel Pickering missed an open net high after keeper Andrew Palazzotto was knocked out of position.

The Vikings had a goal disallowed in the 17th minute after the side official signaled for an offside, but the head referee failed to blow the whistle until after the ball found the back of the net. The two conversed and the offside call stood.

Nolan Taylor opened the scoring for the Vikings in the 20th minute when he headed the ball past Palazzotto. There was a scramble in front of the Seneca net. The Sting defender tried to clear the ball, but kicked it fourty feet straight up into the air where Taylor jumped higher than everyone else for the 1-0 lead.

The four goals by Seneca was one shy of their previous total for the first five matches of the season.

The Seneca Sting (4-1-1) will host George Brown (0-3-1) on October 3 while St. Lawrence (K) (0-5-1) will host George Brown on October 2.

Source: Seneca College