Soccer season down to the wire; Women’s football history

Gameday in 5: A look to the week ahead — and a recap of the week that was (July 10-16) — for London’s teams and athletes.

FC London’s men’s squad is on a roll. The women? They’re fighting for a playoff spot. (Photo: Martin Bazyl / League1 Ontario).

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London Majors

The Majors played just one game last week due to weather that led to two other games being postponed due to rain and unplayable field conditions. It was an unfortunate turn of events for London, who had momentum on their side after winning four of their previous five games.

In the contest they did manage to get in, the Majors lost 5-4 to the Barrie Baycats on the road Sunday in a contest they led until the eighth inning. Majors starting pitcher Owen Boon tossed six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a pair of walks. He struck out 11 to increase his league lead in that category to 67 (in seven starts).

The Majors took an early 3-0 lead in the contest, with Starling Joseph doubling home a pair of runners in the third inning — and Cleveland Brownlee following with a single to bring home Joseph. The Baycats scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the third, and then tied things up in the sixth inning. Keith Kandel regained the lead for the Majors ahead in the 7th with an RBI single, but the Baycats struck back.

After tossing a scoreless seventh, Majors relief pitcher Braeden Ferrington allowed a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly. The real trouble came in the ninth. With one out and a runner on second, Anfernee Benitez came on in relief and proceeded to hit two batters and then walk in the winning run.

Joseph finished the day 2-for-4. Austin Wilkie and Cris Ruiz both picked up a hit, while Wilkie, Myles Miller and Robert Mackie scored runs for the Majors. As a team, London walked just once and struck out 16 times.

Up next:

The Majors have a very busy week ahead, as they’ll play four games in five days, beginning Wednesday when they host Welland in a rescheduled rainout game.

Wed. July 19 (7:35pm vs. Welland Jackfish)
Fri. July 21 (7:35pm vs. Barrie Baycats)
Sat. July 22 (6:05pm @ Welland Jackfish)
Sun. July 23 (5:15pm @ Kitchener Panthers)

FC London

The Women’s team had a full schedule last week, playing three matches in five days. And they earned points in each, recording two draws and a win as they fight to finish in sixth place and earn the final playoff spot in League1 Ontario play.

Facing the North Toronto Nitros last Wednesday at home, FC London earned a late goal to secure points with a 2-2 draw. North Toronto led 1-0 at halftime. After Olivia Brown scored in the 69th to tie things up, the Nitros took the lead back in the 82nd minute. Needing points to keep their playoff hopes alive, Brown struck again, scoring her second of the match (89th minute) to earn FC London the draw.

FC London was back home Friday night — to face another top three team in NDC-Ontario. Again, they forced a draw, earning points in their fifth straight. Down 1-0 after the first half, Lauren Rowe evened things at one goal apiece in the 49th minute. Despite scoring chances and hard-fought play the rest of the way, neither team was able to break the stalemate.

On Sunday, FC London delivered a convincing 3-0 win over Blue Devils FC (another team in playoff contention). All the scoring happened in the first half. Olivia Brown got things going in the 19th minute. Gabrielle Kohut doubled the lead late in the first half, and then Brown scored her second of the game shortly after. Goalkeeper Roslyn Boundy played all 90 minutes and logged the shutout. For her efforts, Brown was named the league’s top performer of the week.

On the men’s side, FC London played Masters FA to a 0-0 draw on Saturday, extending the team’s streak of earning points to five matches. During that time, they’ve won twice and tied three times. Saturday’s match marked the second time in three games that FC London has not allowed a goal.

Up next:

It’s a make-or-break week for the women (7-4-5), who sit one point back of the Simcoe County Rovers for the final playoff spot, So, too, does North Mississauga SC, the very team FC London will play this weekend. In other words, it’s a must-win game. They’ll also be watching the scoreboard Wednesday when Simcoe County takes on Electric City FC. The men (3-6-5), meanwhile, will look to continue their recent strong play at home Saturday.

Women:
Sat. July 22 (4:00pm @ North Mississauga SC)

Men:
Sat. July 22 (8:00pm vs. Woodbridge Strikers)

Women’s Football

History was made last weekend for a pair of London-based girls' tackle football teams, who won championships to cap off the inaugural Ontario Women's Football League (OWFL) season.

The London Junior Mustangs Football Club' U16 team won the title in their age group, beating the Cumberland Panthers 13-12 in a thrilling overtime game. The win capped off a highly successful first season for the ‘Stangs. They went 8-3 on the year, earning a bye to the final before overcoming the Panthers for the league championship in thrilling fashion Saturday at David Suzuki Stadium in Peel Region.

The London Wolfpaac's U19 team, meanwhile, dominated in their gold medal game, winning 45-6 over their Cumberland counterparts. The Wolfpaac, an organization in its first full season, made a name for itself with a fantastic summer. The U19 team went 5-1 in the regular season and then knocked off the Kingston Sharks, 38-13, in their semi-final game before taking down the Panthers for the championship Saturday.

The club already has its sights set on the fall, as they'll enter a team in a fall football season jointly run by the OWFL and the Ontario Fall Football League (OFFL).