Hailey Dirk, Cougar Athletics
CALGARY – On a Sunday afternoon at Mount Royal’s Stadium Field, the Mount Royal Cougars women’s soccer team took on the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. The Cougars came in hoping to continue their winning streak, and the Wesmen were hoping to get a first win of the season after a rough series of games. Through the bitter wind, the ladies charged forward and after fierce competition, the teams ended up at a 2-2 tie.
Alexi Watson from the Cougars said they were “disappointed with the results,” and “expected a better outcome from the team today.”
The Cougars were dominating from the start, getting shot after shot on the Wesmen net. The Wesmen swiftly rebounded and after a mistake by Cougars goalkeeper Rose Hemans, the Wesmen had a clear shot and Tyler Johnson brought the score to 1-0 for the Wesmen. Recovering from her prior mistake, Hemans would make a good save shortly after.
Jullien Ramirez from the Cougars nearly evened the score, but at the last minute the ball decided to go around the net. Ramirez again almost had two shots, but the Wesmen defence refused the Cougars’s efforts, blocking multiple charges from the home team.
Perhaps the freezing wind had blown the home team off their game, because none of their efforts seemed to come together despite the many shots coming from them. Finally, the wind blew the right direction and the Cougars play came together with a goal from midfielder Janai Martens. At the end of the first half, the game was tied 1-1.
After what must have been an incredibly inspirational speech at half time, the Cougars opened the second half with and nearly took the lead but the ball was cleared off the line by a Winnipeg defender. At the other end, the Wesmen scored a possible goal, but it was offside and didn’t count.
With only 20 or so minutes left, both teams were desperate to edge out the other, and neither seemed to have an advantage. After much delay, the game progressed again when the Cougars scored a second goal with Haley Nicholson. In the dying seconds of the game though, She-Lynn Dodds from the Wesmen scored a second goal and again the game was brought to a tie.
The Booster Juice players of the game were Alexi Watson from the Cougars and Shae-Lynn Dodds from Wesmen. The Cougars next play a home and home with Alberta while Winnipeg have a home and home with Manitoba.
