REDEEMER 2, NIAGARA 1

ANCASTER, Ont. - On an evening where ever minute of play seemed to be in doubt due to the forecast above, the Royals were able to weather the storm and grab their first win of the season in dramatic fashion.

The men's game began with dark clouds above, scattered showers and the risk of thunder and lightning. However, it was under these conditions that the Royals seemed to grab the spark they needed to put in a full 90 minute performance in a 2-1 victory over the Niagara Knights.

Niagara grabbed an early lead in the 22nd minute when Kyle Sheppard scored on a questionable free kick just outside the 18 yard box. For the second straight game the Royals went down early 1-0 on an early goal.

With the storm picking up, the game was then forced into a 15 minute delay while a pocket of lightning passed by the field.

When the teams returned to play, the Royals proved determined to not let the match get away from them. Redeemer continued to push offensively and were rewarded in the 32nd minute when Lewis Tuininga buried his second of the season to tie the game at one goal a piece.

The goal by Redeemer seemed to be the turning point in the game as the Royals began to apply a sustained amount of pressure on the Niagara defence. Redeemer had Niagara on their toes with a few chances tight inside the six yard box, a great opportunity in the 43rd minute on a bouncing ball close to goal, and a great save by Niagara's goalie on an outside shot by Jordan Bokma late in the first half. Both teams entered halftime with one goal each to show for their efforts.

A red card issued in the 64th minute to Niagara's Erik Greiner, after receiving his second yellow card of the match, gave the Royals another outburst of offensive opportunities. The Royals were finally rewarded with a goal in the 85th minute when Redeemer's Josh Elgeti jumped on a rebound. Niagara's goalie made an initial save on an outside shot from beyond the 18 yard box but couldn't recover quickly enough to grab the rebound.

The Royals held on for the 2-1 win.

Redeemer assistant coach Tim Selles mentioned that the team showed a lot of improvement from the first game of the season. "We put a lot more pressure on their players", said Selles. "We didn't give them as much time with the ball and we are pretty happy to walk away here with the win."

For the coaching staff it was their first win since taking the reins of the men's soccer program. "It was exciting", said Selles. "We were biting our nails a bit on the sideline but we are happy with the effort and hope to keep improving. We hope to be able to get some of our guys healed now as we look forward to Fanshawe on Saturday."

The Royals record improves to 1-1. The team now turns their attention to the road as they will travel for the first time this season. The Royals have a stop in London at Fanshawe College on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Source: Redeemer University College