The co-ed soccer team had to wait an extra week for their tournament at Redeemer University College, but they were no less preparing, returning to Laurier with a third place finish.
Co-captain Kamden Holder is pleased with their results and going into their final tournament at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus on March 15, feels they’re in great shape to win it all.
After winning against Fanshawe 2-1 to open the tournament, the Golden Hawks lost 2-1 to Humber. However, they bounced back to crush Sheridan Trafalgar 10-1, highlighted by a three-goal performance from Stephen Armstrong.
This emphatic victory sent Laurier to semi-finals against Humber College, a game in which ended in heartbreak. After neither team being able to score a goal in 50 minutes of regulation, it came down to penalty shots.
All but one shot got passed goalie Tyler Webb, but that ended up being the goal that put Humber into the finals.
Laurier was a shootout loss away from beating Humber College to make it to the finals, who were the eventual winners of the tournament.
“[Humber] has a good reputation and everybody expects them to win,” Holder says, “We almost beat them and we could’ve beaten them.”
He was impressed with how the team played and simply wants them to keep up the good work.
“Just keep the ball moving, making quick decisions to keep control of the game. That’s all it comes down to,” says Holder.
Holder and the soccer teams at Laurier will be facing a whole new challenge in the coming year when they take the teams outdoors to play regulation varsity soccer.
But he is ready for the challenge. Holder has been in close contact with Laurier Brantford Athletic & Recreations Manager and is already preparing for next season and beyond with practices organized all throughout the summer.
The Laurier Brantford soccer teams will continue to be a part of the OCAA (Ontario College Athletics Association), but with everything bigger and better.
The team will mostly stay intact, with new players added to flesh out the roster for 11-on-11 play. This is really important to the team’s success Holder says.
“When it comes to varsity, we will already have the chemistry we need,” says Holder.
And there are very few sports where chemistry between teammates is more important. You need to know where your teammates are at all times and when to pass to whom.
One tournament on the small gyms and nets remains for the Golden Hawks, and if they can avenge their shootout loss against Humber College and make it to the tournament finals, the confidence they’ll have when stepping foot on the real pitch couldn’t be any higher.
