Captain's Blog.....Season end

It was a bittersweet ending for the Cougars' season as they took home the ACAC silver medal this halloween weekend! It was a cold day on the Friday and while four teams from the north and south divisions competed for spots in the semi finals, the top teams from each division got a well deserved rest and conserved their energy for what was ahead of them. The Cougars came out with a bang for their last weekend of ACAC soccer as they took on the Concordia Thunder, the Cougars' arch rivals from the north. The game started off with the Cougars' high pressure, quick style of play and the Thunder seemed slightly shaken up which led to numerous chances for the home side. It was not until the last 20 minutes that the Cougars managed to put one away after Hodl found a loose bouncing ball in the 18 yard box and stuck it in the back of the net. Despite their forceful attack with all 11 players for the remainder of the game, the Thunder could not break down the Cougars' solid wall at the back in the last part of the game. The back four did an amazing job and stood solid for an entire 90 minutes. Monica used aggressive raptor skills to win numerous balls in the air and was a dominant force that the Thunder's strikers could not compete with. Player of the game was awarded to first year midfielder Courtney Elliott for her strong tactical play which was consistent and high energy for 90 minutes.  Fusco was very pleased with the overall performance of the squad and stated that the Cougars' tactical and high energy style of play came through and won them a spot in the ACAC finals! The excitement following the celebration after the game and a team dinner was short lived as the Cougars realized the preparation necessary for the task at hand on Sunday. Up next was the ACAC finals against the CCAA top ranked squad, the Nait Ooks. With the ACAC title and national spot up for grabs, the Cougars were fired up and ready to prove they were better than the 7-0 loss they suffered to the Ooks in pre-season play. The game started off slow but the Cougars found their groove after a while of getting used to playing a formation they had never seen before. The Cougars had some good chances and managed to hold the Nait Ooks after a tough first 20 minutes of constant attack. The Ooks found success shortly before the end of the first half when a short corner allowed for a shot at the top of the 18 yard box that was skillfully placed below the crossbar. The Cougars did not let this get them down and they continued to battle hard and create further scoring chances. To the Cougars' dismay, Nait took a unique approach and spent time holding the ball in the corner creating throwing ins and the Cougars just couldn't seem to get a decent clear out of their end. The final whistle blew and the Cougars realized their fate. Monica Neilson was awarded player of the game for her strong defensive cover and her ability to shut down Nait's key players. The defensive line was very strong against a tough opposition and it took the Ooks an uncontested ball into the 18 yard box by way of a corner kick to score which is something the Cougars should be proud of! After the game, they proudly accepted their silver medals and hope to maintain positive attitudes moving forward into futsal league and next season where they will battle teams of the Ooks' calibre weekly. It was a great season and the cohesion of the team of lady Cougs was unremarkable! Being a young team, everyone really stepped up and dealt with strong physical play by out working the opponents. Hard work at practice really did lead the Cougars to success and they will hopefully shake up the CIS with their presence in the 2012 season. They also hope to once again dominate the ACAC futsal league with their strong tactical play! Stay tuned for updates! Great season ladies=)