Strong finish has FC Women primed for playoffs

Two days after clinching the final playoff spot, FC London takes on the North Toronto Nitros Thursday in a League1 Ontario quarterfinal match. Running on adrenaline, can they continue their hot stretch?

(Photo: Zoe Keck / League1 Ontario).

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A month ago, it looked like they might be also-rans. After a 4-2 loss to Woodbridge June 25, FC London’s women’s team uncharacteristically found itself in the bottom half of the standings, owners of a 3-4-3 record 10 matches into the season.

But if League1 Ontario teams have learned anything about FC London over the years, it’s to never count them out. And so began an impressive run by the club. Since the calendar turned to July, the team has gone unbeaten. Five wins and a pair of draws through last weekend catapulted them up the standings – all the way to the final playoff spot.

And then they passed one final test Tuesday, beating Electric City FC in the final game of the season, a ‘closed door’ affair in Milton that served as the rescheduled match from the teams’ abandoned game back on May 13.

Ahead by two points in the standings, FC London needed a draw against their rival to secure the final playoff spot. They won outright, 1-0, in a closely contested match at Bishop Reding high school.

“We knew if we scored, they’d have to score two,” said Garrett Peters, FC London’s head coach. “Julia (Benati) had an amazing goal to start the game and we were able to hold them off. I’m really, really proud of the girls.

“(Electric City) is a very good team. They had a lot of really good chances, and we had our share of chances. That’s a game that maybe could have ended 4-3 for somebody.”

Strong goaltending, including from Cassidy Joslin on FC London’s side, kept the game a low-scoring affair. When the final whistle sounded, Joslin earned her fourth shutout of the season.

The win capped off an impressive run that saw FC London’s playoff hopes transform from an ‘outside looking in’ scenario to capturing the final spot in thrilling fashion.

“It was such an amazing feeling to turn around our season and clinch a playoff spot,” said Julia Benati, who joined the club for the second half after sitting out a month following pro stints in Norway and Portugal. “Every game turned into a ‘playoff game,’ and this team refused to quit. We have a core group of girls and quality reserves that have become a family. We fought for each other. I think this unity — and lots of grit — is what really gave us the extra edge. There are so many talented teams in the league, but we just wanted it more.”

And, so, London now quickly shifts its focus to their opening playoff match Thursday, against the third-place North Toronto Nitros. If it sounds like a quick turnaround, it’s because it is. Just one day of rest between crucial matches is poor scheduling by the league, but Peters’ squad is treating it as just the latest hurdle in a hard-fought season.

“We’ve been going game after game after game the last three or four weeks, so nothing’s going to change now,” the coach said. “We’re going to keep pushing.”

FC London in action against North Mississauga SC on July 22. (Photo: Zoe Keck / League1 Ontario).

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Thursday’s match against North Toronto, at Downsview Park in North York (8pm), will be FC London’s ninth in 26 days. That’s a match every third day. Normally, teams play once a week. Rescheduled games against Electric City and NDC-Ontario (the latter stemming from a cancelation due to poor air quality from Quebec wildfires), plus a pair of already-scheduled midweek games has had FC London extremely busy in July.

It hasn’t come without a cost. Nagging injuries, tired players and a fatigued club have put FC London in a position where the team will be relying on adrenaline the rest of the way. And, at least for Thursday, they’ll likely be without their captain, Benati. Tuesday night’s goal scorer suffered an injury in the second half and is not expected to play against North Toronto.

The last meeting between these two teams came just two weeks ago, as FC London played the Nitros to a 2-2 draw at home at Tricar Field July 12. Trailing 2-1 late in the match, Olivia Brown scored her second goal of the game, in the 89th minute, to earn the draw.

“They’ve got a great team. We had a great battle with them last time, so anything could happen,” said Peters. “We hope to give it one more shot to put ourselves in a situation at the end of the game to come away with a win.”

“We played a very good game against them a couple weeks ago, where both teams had chances to take the win,” said Benati. “I believe our team can compete with any in the league, and we’ve shown that by going eight games unbeaten. I think it’ll be a very good game, and I’m excited to watch the girls keep our run going.”

With several players having returned to their schools in the U.S., Peters’ squad has been relying on production from all corners during the team’s impressive run this month. Leading the offensive charge has been Brown, Benati, Lauren Rowe and youngster Charlotte Cromack.

“Whatever it takes, they’re finding different ways to win,” the coach said. “It’s a young group, and earlier on in the year we were making some mistakes that were a bit immature. But the girls have grown through that and become a winning team. They’ve proven they’re one of the best teams in the league. I’m really proud of them. This is a huge accomplishment for them.”

Since joining League1 Ontario, FC London has never missed the playoffs. They cut it close this year, but they got it done. Now, the question is how far can they go? Last summer, the women won their quarterfinal match against Simcoe County and then lost in the semis to NDC-Ontario.

“Literally anything can happen (in playoffs),” said Peters. “A lucky bounce goes your way … someone stands on their head in net … someone scores a big goal … nothing is guaranteed, even if you have a bye. Our goal every year is to be in the mix and then we’ll see what happens.

“At the start of the year, we wanted to make 2024 [earn a spot in the premier division], and we did that, and we also wanted to make it to the playoffs and see what could happen there. We’re excited to be here.”