STING GO MEDALLESS AT WOMEN'S SOCCER NATIONALS

CCAA Bronze Semi-Final: Capilano Blues 1, Seneca Sting 0

The Capilano Blues will get to play for a medal as the host side in their own tournament after knocking off the Seneca Sting 1-0 Friday afternoon.

It was an early goal by fifth-year defender Mya Fraser that made the difference. Capilano started strong, immediately pushing the ball into attacking position which earned them a corner kick less than five minutes in. Again, Michaela Salvino lofted a stellar delivery to the front of the Seneca goal where Fraser got above the crowd and headed it home for the only goal of the game. Salvino almost made it a two-goal lead midway through the first half on a free kick that clanged off the post.

From there, the Blues would have to put in more than 70 minutes of spotless defending to bring it home and got a massive boost early in the second half from goalkeeper Amaya Salvino. After a tangle in the Blues 18-yard box and a Seneca player went to the turf, a penalty kick was awarded with Alexis Cordeiro selected to take it. Her shot to the right side was stopped on a diving, two-fisted denial by Salvino with Isabella Bolognese clearing the rebound. The Blues were able to push to the final whistle, using some fresh legs off the bench in the form of Ayesha Fraser and Kai Belbin.

Players of the game were Christina Diaco from Seneca and Mya Fraser from Capilano.

CCAA Semi-Final: Nomades de Montmorency 1, Seneca Sting 0

There will be a new CCAA women's soccer champion in 2024 as les Nomades du Collège Montmorency knocked off the defending title holders Seneca Sting by a 1-0 score Thursday afternoon.

Fresh off their win by the same score over PACWEST champion VIU to open the tournament, Montmorency hunted down a bigger game against Seneca, with the Sting being the No. 1-ranked team in the country for much of the year. The winner came in the 18th minute off a corner kick. Aella Leysour De Rohello delivered a beautiful, left-footed out-swinger to the far side of the area where first-year defender Audrey Lefebvre headed it home with a diving effort.

Montmorency never allowed Seneca to get organized on attack in the second half and managed to keep All-Canadian and Player of the Year finalist Marlene Siwula in check. Seneca mounted a desperate offensive in the three minutes of injury time at the end of the game and generated a couple of good looks on goal but couldn't find the back of the net. Montmorency advances to the gold-medal game which will be Saturday at 3 p.m.

Players of the game were Manmeet Atwal Montmorency from Seneca and Kelly-Anne Boucher of Montmorency.

CCAA Quarter-Final: Seneca Sting 2, Brandon Bobcats 0

Game 2 of opening day at the CCAA women's soccer nationals featured the defending champion and No. 1-ranked team in the country, the Seneca Sting, and they showed their class by scoring a goal in each half to claim a 2-0 over MCAC champion Brandon University Bobcats.

The Manitoba side held their own over the first half, despite the Sting maintaining the bulk of possession and pushing their attack toward the Bobcats goal. The match was still a stalemate until injury time of the first half when Seneca was awarded a free kick just outside the Brandon 18-yard-box. Veteran Yoana Peralta Fernandez was tapped to take the kick, and though she was looking for a teammate to get on the end of her bending drive, nobody could get to it and it curled just inside the post for what turned out to be the winning goal. Seneca seemed to effortlessly maintain possession by regroup and using their midfield to get the ball across the pitch.

Brandon did what they could to prevent Seneca from getting repeated looks at the net but the Sting capitalized again in the second half on a wonder strike from distance with Martina Pannia driving a blast over the head of the Brandon keeper to put the game out of reach.

Players of the game were Mackenzie Boyes from Brandon and Peralta Fernandez from Seneca.

CCAA Championship Site: www.ccaa.ca/sports/wsoc/championship/index

Source: Capilano Blues/CCAA Communications