With an offensive crush in the first half, and goalkeeper heroics by Sam Behm in the second, the Peninsula Co-op Highlanders expanded their winning streak to six on Saturday at Tyndall Park. In a 3-2 victory, the Highlanders defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps U-18 squad, the top team in the Pacific Coast Soccer League premier women鈥檚 division.
The win improved Victoria鈥檚 second-place record to 7-1-2, with three games in hand over the Whitecaps (11-2-0).
鈥淭hey鈥檝e got some players who really hurt us,鈥� Whitecaps coach Jesse Symons said. 鈥淭hey really put us on our heels at times.鈥�
The Whitecaps were missing the ultra-talented Summer Clarke, who has scored 17 goals so far this season, along with a few others attending pop star Taylor Swift鈥檚 concert at sa国际传媒 Place. It didn鈥檛 take long for the Highlanders to take advantage.
A corner kick by Katie Kraeutner set up Liz Hansen, who slammed the ball off Whitecaps goalkeeper Julia McDonald, and Mariel Solsberg converted the rebound.
The Victoria trio connected again, seconds before the halftime whistle, when Kraeutner cut in from the wing, and set the ball in front. Solsberg made like she would shoot, but left the ball for Hansen to put across the line.
Hansen said the streak has been about gelling as a team.
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e just gotten comfortable with each other,鈥� Hansen said. 鈥淧eople have all gotten in now, we鈥檝e got some good training in.鈥�
One of the recent additions has been forward Elise Wyatt, who was a thorn in the Whitecaps side, before being rested for the second in advance of the game today against the TSS Player Development Academy in Richmond. Wyatt plays for DePaul University, and was been invited to the national U-20 camp, along with Highlanders teammate and fellow Victorian Kraeutner, just off her freshman season at the University of Nebraska.
鈥淪he鈥檚 very difficult to play against,鈥� Victoria coach Dave Dew said about Wyatt鈥檚 strong physical play. 鈥淪he causes lots of trouble, and opens up avenues for others.鈥�
The second half began well for the Highlanders, when Hansen fired the ball at McDonald. The 鈥檏eeper couldn鈥檛 handle it, and the ball just made it into the net. Up what seemed like a comfortable 3-0, the Highlanders seemed to wilt a little in the heat, and the Whitecaps went on the attack.
A diving attempt by Behm didn鈥檛 quite stop a goal by Simmrin Dhaliwal, and Jasmin Dhanda made it 3-2. The Whitecaps kept coming, but Behm was outstanding in defence, thwarting two breakaways. In the late stages, she used her body to block back-to-back short-range blasts from Sessen Stevens.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I wouldn鈥檛 be a goalkeeper,鈥� Symons said about Behn taking those hard shots.
As the clock wound down, the Highlanders were able to keeping clearing the ball, and preserved their victory.
鈥淚t was good,鈥� Dew said. 鈥淲e had to close out the game, and did it.鈥�
