MRU @ UofM

The weather in Winnipeg was drastically different from the day before with the sun out and barely a cloud in the sky, only a strong wind would subtract from the conditions. The Manitoba Bison were a better team then the Wesmen though and the Cougars needed to be prepared for the competition. The game started with the Cougars looking to attack fast and hard and get a leg up on the Bison, plans don't always go according to plan though. With a soft foul by a defender the Bison took advantage of their free kick and hitting it long and high beat the goalkeeper who had to battle the sun in her eyes. After this the Cougars struggled with the game and calls being made by the referee, one of which was deserved as it better resembled an American football tackle then a play in soccer. This foul did earn a defender a deserved yellow card (ugh... Zilkie), but the tackle helped boost the team to push harder and get back in the game. As hard as they pushed though the Cougars unfortunately went down another goal, putting them in a difficult position to come back for the win. Just before the half though with a long corner Reaghan Zilkie headed the ball into the goal to keep the Cougars in the game going into half. Substitutions were made at half to get some jump in the attack and change the outcome of the game. The second half started with better possession and not long into the half Ashley Wroe scored from a through ball, beating the keeper one vs one. With the game tied at two Coach Fusco made plans to push for a last minute goal, as things go though the Bison got the go ahead goal with 5 minutes to go in the half. Showing a resilience that might have surprised some the Cougars responded with a goal by Kelsey Kinzner who once again beat a keeper high tying the game up. With injury time dwindling Ashley Wroe sent a long throw past a defender leaving Donella Lockhart with a bouncing ball, a physical defender on her back, and the keeper to beat. She managed to do all of these things, however the shot was inches off as it wrung off the inside of the post and bounced out. Coach Fusco's comments on the game were that the team were lucky to tie and almost managed to win. All in all the game was full of excitement, and Alyssa Himbault will be taking donations to replace her cleats which literally fell apart while on the field.

MRU @ UofW

Once again the MRU team found itself in a classy hotel in a not so classy part of town, but sticking to the buddy system the team managed to prepare for their first game of the weekend. The weather forecast was gloomy for Saturday and it poured all day, finally stopping when the team went out for dinner that night. The Cougars had a solid breakfast in the hotel and with a celebrity farewell (CSI actors) in the morning, they were ready to face the Winnipeg Wesmen. Thankfully the team was wearing their blue long sleeve jerseys which made the wet and cold easier to handle. The game started well for the Cougars as they maintained possession in the Wesmen's end, the defence able to handle anything that came at them. As the game progressed Kelsey Kinzner took a shot from outside the 18 yard box managing to beat the keeper high, putting the team up one to nothing. Not long after the Cougars went up a goal however the Wesmen managed to make a good attempt on goal from a long ball. The Wesmen striker beat both defender and keeper, the only reason a goal didn't result was thanks to Monica Neilson. Who with her volleyball background leapt up and blocked the shot, directing it wide for a Wesmen corner. The half ended with the score 1-0, and the Cougars knew that another lucky break and the Wesmen would be right back in the game. Coming into the half with a few substitutions the Cougars kept the pressure on the Wesmen and created more chances to score, the chances only falling apart at the last minute. Not to be thwarted though the Cougars pressed, and Kelsey Kinzner scored an almost identical goal to her first in the second half. Still pushing for more success the Cougars found another with a give and go, which got Donella Lockhart behind the Wesmen defence. Who sliding in with the defender and keeper managed to get the ball in the back of the net. Some more substituitions followed as Coach Fusco wanted to keep the energy high up front and solid in the back. Substitute Karlee Hodl finalized the Cougars dominance when she found the keeper out of postion and shot a great ball over the keepers head into the far corner. The game ended with the Cougars feeling confident about their play and the result, but knowing that Coach Fusco always wants more. The more that he wanted would follow that Sunday against University of Manitoba.

MRU vs. Fraser Valley

Having lost the Saturday game to Victoria 2-1 the Cougars were eager to gain some points against a middle table ranked Fraser Valley team. Fraser Valley is a very quick and physical team, having watched video of the opposition Coach Fusco decided to go with a different starting line-up then the previous day. This line-up was effective though as early in the game Kelsey Kinzner won a ball off a Fraser Valley defender and lobbed the ball over the keeper. Calgary referees with their reputation called the play offside though, effectively calling the goal back. After much review by players and coaches a like the play was found to be on side and miscalled by both the linesmen and the referee. Almost right after this call the Fraser Valley team found the back of the net off a corner that the Cougars struggled to collect and clear. Needless to say this goal drastically shifted the momentum of the game and the Cougars struggled to recollect themselves. The Cougars left the half down 1-0 but Coach Fusco was confident in his squad and other then one substitution in the first half, the same players faced Fraser Valley at the start of the second half. Same as the first half though the Cougars struggled to get past the condensed Fraser Valley inside midfielders. With 20 minutes left in the half Coach Fusco made substitutions with the intent of pushing for an equalizer late in the game. Unfortunately Fraser Valley managed to get another goal off a corner almost identical to their first goal against the Cougars. With people pushed high and an unfortunate mistake made by the defence Fraser Valley got another goal to put them up 3-0. The game ended with a score of 3-0, leaving the Cougars down two games for the weekend. Most frustrating of all is the quality of play from one day to the next is still a struggle for the Cougar team, and unfortunately there isn't always extra time for a late comeback.

MRU vs Victoria

Last year the Victoria game was the teams first away weekend and both the scenery and competition made it an exciting learning opportunity. The game ended poorly for the team though with a loss of 5-0 to the more CIS experienced Victoria team. This year however the Cougars had better expectations and determination, and being the first game of the weekend the team was ready to go. The first half was full of hard work from both teams, neither team able to edge ahead of the other. The Cougars left the half the same as the previous year 0-0, this year though they were determined to not fall apart in the second half. Unfortunately it looked scary for a bit there when Victoria went ahead by a goal, but this years Cougar team isn't the same as last year. And substitute Alyssa Himbeault made a difference once again when she hit a low hard shot from outside the 18 yard box, beating the keeper to tie the game at 1-1. Not all the bugs have been worked out it seems though as Victoria managed to get another one on the Cougars putting them back ahead. More substitutions were made with 10 min left in the game to get more energy up front for a last minute come back. Victoria sensing the shift in momentum did a smart and yet frustrating thing (depends on perspective) and held the ball in the Cougars corner for the remainder of the game. Unable to get the ball forward the Cougars left the game down 2-1, in comparison to the previous year though the game had both better play and outcome.

MRU @ UNBC

This weekend was the first away game for the Cougars and it required a plane ride to Prince George with a layover in Vancouver. With any away game there are challenges and this trip had more then usual with lots of miscommunication and confusion over hotel arrangements and field locations. But with beds found to sleep in and a fashionably late arrival to the fields the Cougars were ready to take on the UNBC Timberwolves. The Game started with the Cougars hitting hard and winning balls, and it became clear that the fans were going to be a big part of the game. With the crowd very vocal about how the game was being played/called and the presence of a particularly large drum a different component of the game was added. Their fans had something to cheer about when due to both figurative and literal slips in the back allowed the Timberwolves to find the back of the net. The Cougars had the majority of the possession in the first half and made some good plays but didn't have the quality shots the team hoped for. The half ended with the Timberwolves up 1-0, with the Cougars knowing they were the better team. Substitutions were made at half to bring fresh legs into the attack and hopefully pull the Cougars ahead. The substitutes did just that when Karlee Hodl on the left wing found the back of the net with a long shot that went over the keeper finding the far side of the net. The Cougars controlled the game in the second half and any chances the Timberwolves had were easily dealt with my the Cougar defence and keeper. Taylor Lamb (Ralph) secured the win for the Cougars when she won a through ball and managed to beat the keeper low to put the Cougars ahead. By keeping possession in the Timberwolves half the Cougars waited out the rest of the game, with a final score of 2-1 for the Cougars. With the second win of the season the Cougars are hoping to continue their success and keep improving.

Recognition goes to Taylor Lamb (Ralph) for her first CIS game, and CIS goal.

Side Note: Always make sure your ID is where you think it is, make life a whole less stressful when trying to board a plane.

MRU vs U of A

The game was rescheduled with short notice by Coach Tino due to the U of A pandas being unavailable for the original game day. The goal was to hit the Pandas before they knew what was going on, with the intent that the Cougars could steal the points. For the first half this went exactly as planned and the Cougars kept pace with the Pandas creating opportunities and controlling the offence of the Panda's. With all the opportunities created the Cougars continued to struggle with the final ball/shot and very few shots were placed on target. In the last 5 minutes of the half the Pandas got deep on the outside and drove a ball low across the box, where unfortunately a Cougar defender connected wrong with the ball and sent it into the net. Leaving the half the Cougars still believed they were in the game, and could come back and win the whole thing. Showing similar problems as the year previous though the Cougars, had 3 goals scored against them in quick succession right after the half. The rest of the half the Cougars continued to battle and Kelsey Kinzner got credit for a goal almost identical to the Panda's first, low drive across the box and in off a defender. The end result was a 4-1 loss for the Cougars, but theres always a positive and this time it's that the team in playing better each game and confident in the coming weekend.

Recognition goes to Kelsey Kinzner who not only scored the goal but received player of the match for her work ethic up top.

MRU vs U of L

The second game of both the season and the weekend was against the U of L Pronghorns and presented the opportunity the Cougars were looking for to gain their first win. The weather did a 180 degree turn from the previous day and as the past has shown the Cougars only have to wear their long sleeved blue jerseys when the sun is out and temperature is high. Despite this the Cougars held most of the possession during the game and dealt with the Pronghorns long ball attack successfully. Keeping possession doesn't score goals though and getting the ball behind the defensive line and getting quality shots proved to be the challenge. Kennedy Paonessa got one of the few quality shots on target the Cougars had in the first half ringing the ball of the crossbar. Following in was Kelsey Kinzner who although didn't win the ball was fouled by the goalkeeper who went up to collect the ball, earning a penalty kick. Kelsey Kinzner also took the penalty hitting it low to the left corner beating the keeper to put the Cougars up 1-0. Substitutions were made at the half in an attempt to increase chances on net, and success was found on the wings by the substitutes. Although chances were increased no goals were scored, and in the last 5 minutes of the game the Pronghorns won a multitude of corner kicks and free kicks around the goal. These chances brought out the best in the defence and keeper Janel Chicilo who made some fantastic saves to ensure the win for the Cougars. A few things about this game are certain; the Cougars can always improve, and the referee was enemy #1 for both coaches at different points in the game.

Congratulations to Christine Jenkins who entered the game at half for her CIS debut.

Home Opener (U of C)

The home opener for the 2013 season was greatly promoted and planned for by Cougar athletics, but mother nature couldn't cooperate as it poured all morning stopping only once the game started. Despite the rain the Cougar team prepared for the first game of the season ( Crowchild Classic no less) with varying levels of excitement and anxiety. The game started fast and physical from the first whistle with both teams having opportunities on net in the first 5 minutes. U of C however pulled ahead off of a corner kick which bounced around the box after the initial save. This goal was followed with another by U of C on a long shot that beat the keeper wide and found the corner of the net. Despite being down the Cougars managed to fend off any other attacks the Dinos created and left the half down only by 2. The second half started with better energy and momentum from the Cougars, and with some subs just after the half opportunities increased. Kristin Bloom being one of these substitutions increased the Cougars energy up front and with a ball across the net found Donella Lockhart, who managed to beat the keeper high and score the Cougars first goal. Unfortunately the Dinos responded with another goal by intercepting a pass back to the Cougar goalie. This game has shown that there are still things to be worked on and places to grow as a team. The challenge now is to bounce back and compete against the U of L in the second game of the weekend.

Special note about Brianna Keil, Kennedy Paonessa, Navroop Virk, and Alyssa Himbeault for their first game time in the CIS, welcome to the league ladies!

MRU SOCCER HELPS MOVE IN

Mount Royal Women's soccer spent their day off in pre-season helping future students move into residence. I hear there was also some " chasing cars ". 

Setting the standard on and off the field!