Badgers, Lions looking to pull away from crowded pack in key Week 4 match
St. Catharines, Ont. – A pair of teams currently in the middle of the talented Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women’s soccer pack are looking to add to their ranks and will have a chance to do just that when they face off, as the York Lions and Brock Badgers come together for this week’s OUA Marquee Matchup, powered by Planters.
The teams got off to very different starts at the outset of the campaign, with both sides’ fortunes changing since their opening weekend. The Badgers kicked off their season with a pair of wins, knocking off both the Waterloo Warriors (2-1) and the Laurier Golden Hawks (1-0) on opening weekend. After following that up with a tie against Windsor, the Badgers have gone on to lose their next two against both the OUA champions and finalists from a year ago.
York, meanwhile, got off to a shakier start to their season, as the 2017 runner-up Western Mustangs found the back of the net five times against them in the eventual 5-2 defeat. After a 3-1 win against the Lancers in their second game, the Lions would go on to tie Guelph (1-1) and drop a 2-1 decision to Laurier the following weekend. Since then, however, York has earned back-to-back victories against those same Golden Hawks and the McMaster Marauders.
In addition to their similar records, both the Badgers and Lions have played to zero goal differentials, albeit once again in different fashions. The Lions have been able to find the back of the net more frequently than Brock, with their nine goals ranking third in the OUA. Five different Lions have done the damage offensively, led by two goals each from Jessica Lush (Beaver Bank, N.S.), Kalifornia Mitchell (Ajax, Ont.), Christina Morelli (Markham, Ont.), and Sia Papadopoulos (Maple, Ont.).
While the Badgers have not shone on offence to that same degree, they will boast a strong defensive presence against York’s balanced attack. The Badgers are tied for fourth in goals allowed on the year (4), a statistic that has been largely dictated by goalkeeper Marilena Spagnolo (St. Catharines, Ont.). In her five appearances, Spagnolo has recorded 33 saves and one shutout.
Not to be outdone, Lions keeper Tamara Orlando (East York, Ont.) is coming off back-to-back clean sheets, turning away 10 shots on goal in that span, and will be looking to limit Brock’s offensive efforts in similar fashion. Hoping that is not the case are the team’s leading scorers Brianne Desa (Pickering, Ont.) and Sydney Sica (Niagara Falls, Ont.), along with the rest of the young Badgers squad looking to push their record above .500.
Turning the calendar back to their most recent matches, the Badgers put up quite a battle, albeit both times in losing causes. It was a late effort from the Lions that put their 2017-18 games out of reach, with Haley Walsh’s goal in the 89th minute edging the Badgers 2-1 and a pair of tallies in the final 15 minutes sealing their 3-0 win.
When looking even further back at the history between these two sides, the Lions have held a decisive advantage as of late, but when the calendar turns to Sunday and the teams once again renew their season series, the Badgers will surely be looking to reverse their fortunes and deny York their 10th straight head-to-head win.
For those looking to see if the Badgers’ defensive presence or York’s offensive prowess gives their side the edge in this week’s marquee matchup, the game will take place on Sunday, September 16 at 1:00pm on Brock University’s Varsity Soccer Field.
