They were perhaps slightly passive, gentler bulldogs in the first half, but turned into ferocious pitbulls in the second.
Ultimately, the Belmont Bulldogs senior girls soccer team sank their collective teeth into a first ever Ryan Cup championship, battling back from a 2-0 halftime deficit for a 3-2 victory over the Lambrick Park Lions in the highly entertaining Lower Island final at the University of Victoria on Thursday afternoon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to be able to win a Ryan Cup. I mean, it was great just being here. To actually win it is astounding,鈥� Belmont assistant coach Lloyd Powell said after the win. 鈥淭he whole school is so proud of them.
鈥淚 thought they displayed a ton of guts to come back from down 2-0. They did so well to get back into the game plan and not panic or give up.鈥�
Kate Payter finally put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard in the 48th minute, finishing off a cross as Belmont came out and pushed hard.
Emma Entzminger then drove a shot just wide for the Lions that would have restored the two-goal lead that Emily Aspden had provided them in the 23rd and 44th minutes of the opening half 鈥� the second off a wonderful through ball from Claire Ethier.
But Kristen Livingstone made it 2-2 in the 55th minute as momentum totally shifted in Belmont鈥檚 favour as the Lions were caught back on their heels.
鈥淎s soon as the momentum changed I noticed that Lambrick went out of its offensive game and dropped into a defensive shell. That played into our hands and our girls just gutted it out,鈥� said Powell, who was without head coach Bud Livingstone.
The Bulldogs continued to put on the pressure and Marisa Livingstone gave them the eventual winning goal in the 60th minute, finishing off a give and go with Maddy Yesaki.
鈥淲e were a little scared because we just got off our game a bit,鈥� Marisa, a Grade 11 striker, said of being down at the half. 鈥淲e got back to one-touch, two-touch soccer and after the second goal I felt like we could get another one.鈥�
She managed it herself shortly after taking a knock in the back that sent her briefly to the sideline. Marisa had already been playing with a banged up foot she suffered in Tuesday鈥檚 semifinals. Her older sister Kristen, 18, was playing with the flu.
鈥淭his is an unreal feeling,鈥� said Marisa. 鈥淚t feels so good to win. You definitely don鈥檛 get too many of these opportunities.鈥�
The Bulldogs also got fabulous defensive play out of Kathy Forbes, who did a wonderful job of reducing Entzminger鈥檚 chances as the talented Lions鈥� striker was kept in check.
鈥淲e were hesitating and it let them back in the game, which was unfortunate,鈥� said Lions co-coach Lauren Goodmanson.
The Lions may have become a little too comfortable with the 2-0 lead and didn鈥檛 handle the momentum swing well.
鈥淲e stressed to them about the 2-0 lead. It鈥檚 probably the worst lead to have in soccer,鈥� said fellow co- coach Melissa Orton, whose team now prepares for double-A Islands that go Monday and Tuesday at Shawnigan Lake.
The triple-A Islands will be at Hampton and Braefoot parks. The Bulldogs 鈥� who are in a pool with Dover Bay, Stelly鈥檚 and Cowichan 鈥� now go in with their first Ryan Cup title.
