Wins for FC London men & women; U18 Jr. ‘Stangs off to semis; Majors win pair

Gameday in 5: A look to the week ahead — and a recap of the week that was (July 15-21) — for London’s teams and athletes.

(Photo: Bob Twidle / League1 Ontario).

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FC London

Women

Looking to take control of third place in League1 Ontario’s Premier Division, FC London’s women’s team (won big Sunday, 5-2, over North Mississauga. London struck first with Bryanna Caldwell putting the team ahead in the 34th minute. Mississauga responded shortly afterward to tie the match heading into halftime, but it was almost all FC London from there.

Julia Benati scored the first of her three goals in the 57th minute, adding her second in the 73rd minute. Kimee Liu extended the lead four minutes later. Mississauga scored their second goal shortly afterward, but Benati finished off her ‘hat-trick’ in the 80th minute to secure the win. The team now sits solidly in third place with 32 points, just one point behind the second-place North Toronto Nitros, who they’ll face in the League1 Cup Final next week. First, though, a regular season matchup against the first-place squad …

Up next: 

Sat. July 27 (5:00pm vs. NDC - Ontario)

Men

Taking on Master’s FA on Saturday, FC London’s men’s team came out on top by a 1-0 margin. After neither team was able to break through in the first half, Owen-Dillon Holmes played the hero for London with the eventual match-winning goal in the 60th minute. The goal was Holmes’ first of the season, and it could not have come at a better time. With the win, London remains in second place in the Championship Division, just a single point behind TFC Academy. 

Up next:

Fri. July 26 (8:00 pm @ Windsor City FC)

London Jr. Mustangs Football

In their playoff opener, a quarterfinal contest against the Cumberland Panthers on Saturday, the U18 London Jr. Mustangs football team won convincingly, 38-21, at home at Western Alumni Stadium.

DJ Fonti had a big game under centre, completing 17 of 24 pass attempts for a whopping 281 and four touchdowns (and one interception). Fonti connected on touchdown scores with Drake Logan, Ian Laliberte and Dylan Fulton (twice). Logan led the way in total receiving yards with 99 on six catches, while Laliberte hauled in three passes for 54 yards. Eight different players had receptions for the Jr. ‘Stangs.

On the ground, it was Kanye Nethersole once again leading the way. He rushed for 125 yards on 18 carries. Cameron Bourdeau had 28 yards on five carries. Fonti ran twice, including punching in a short touchdown. The U18 Jr. Mustangs are now set for an OSFL semi-final game at home this Saturday (7pm) against the Essex Varsity Ravens.

At the U16 level, the Jr. Mustangs saw their season come to an end with a 27-17 loss to the Durham Dolphins on the road Saturday.

London Majors

The Majors won both their weekend games — with the IBL’s all-star game sandwiched in between — to improve to 18-9, good for a tie for second in the IBL standings at the conclusion of the weekend.

Before it started, London was victim of yet another suspended game, as the team’s Tuesday contest in Chatham was suspended due to rain in the top of the sixth inning. That contest is tied 3-3, with the Majors having the bases loaded with one out. It’ll be completed at a later date.

Back in action Friday, the Majors won a close one, 3-2, against the Brantford Red Sox. Jose Arias earned the win, going 6 1/3 innings while allowing just one run on four hits (and four walks). He struck out seven. Skylar Janisse allowed a solo homer, but otherwise turned in a strong 1 2/3 innings in relief, while Jonathan Henry picked up the save with a scoreless ninth inning. Down 1-0 in the 3rd inning, Gibson Krzeminski tied things with a double that scored Ty Mosher. The Majors took the lead the following frame on RBI hits from Byron Reichstein and Victor Plaz. Mosher finished 3-for-3 with a walk, while Kaiden Cardoso reached base four times.

After a quick break for All-Star festivities Saturday in Welland, the Majors got back to it on Sunday with a wild affair against the Kitchener Panthers. In a slugfest, London came away victorious, 16-13, in a four-plus-hour game that saw 29 runs scored and a combined 33 hits recorded by the clubs. After the teams traded blows in the first four innings, the Panthers put up four runs in the sixth to take a 9-7 lead. But London, apparently, was only getting warmed up.

The Majors erupted for eight runs in the 7th inning to take a commanding lead. London’s plate discipline played a pivotal role, with walks helping to load the bases and score the first run. From there, a Brad Verhoeven single and Champ Garner double kept the offense moving. Gibson Krzeminski, Ty Mosher and Starling Joseph each picked up RBIs to extend the lead. The Panthers didn’t go quietly, scoring three in the ninth, but reliever Braeden Ferrington put a stop to the Kitchener rally and secured the final out. 

Up next:

The Majors (18-9), who begin a new week tied with Barrie for second place in the IBL standings, will play a home-and-home series against Toronto this weekend, followed by a makeup game (rainout) vs. first-place Welland Tuesday.

Fri. July 26 (7:35pm vs. Toronto Maple Leafs)
Sun. July 28 (1:05pm @ Toronto Maple Leafs)
Tues. July 30 (7:35pm vs. Welland Jackfish)