It might be expected that most local soccer fans have put a greater part of their hopes for success this week’s national senior tournaments in the teams wearing the red and gold of Holy Cross.
After all, they are the reigning Newfoundland and Labrador's champions on both the men's and women's sides.
But on Wednesday, the opening day of play in the Challenge Trophy men’s and Jubilee Trophy women’s competition in metro St. John’s, it was the province's blue-clad third entry that delivered the best result.
Feildians Greensleeves, Newfoundland’s second women’s team, got a late goal from Stacey Hanlon to fashion a 1-1 tie with Scarborough, Ont., United, the defending national Jubilee Trophy champion.
Meanwhile, the Holy Cross Kirby Group men lost 5-2 to the Edmonton Scottish, while the Holy Cross Avalon Ford women suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hand of Alberta’s Edmonton Northwest United.
All three games were played at KGV.
In the first contest of the joint national senior competitions, the Ontario women and Feildians were scoreless through 80 minutes before Scarborough got on the board when provincial women’s all-star goalkeeper Sydney Walsh mishandled a shot kicked out of the corner, falling back into the net after snagging the ball.
But Feildians picked up their ‘keeper, striking back less than four minutes later. That’s when the Double Blues forced a turnover and the ball ended up on the foot of Hanlon, the second-leading scorer in provincial Jubilee Trophy play. And the Feildians captain knew what to do with it, flicking a shot up and over the Ontario goalie for the tying marker.
Meanwhile, a goal by Holly O’Neill had given Holy Cross a halftime tie with Edmonton, but the Albertans scored two unanswered tallies in the second half for the win.
The two Wednesday results set up a crucial match between the Newfoundland teams 4:30 p.m. today at the Topsail Complex in Conception Bay South.
Holy Cross had had recent success in the nationals, winning a bronze medal in 2017 in what is Newfoundland’s best-ever showing in a Canadian women’s tournament. They also finished first in the 2019 Breen’s Jubilee Trophy provincial league regular-season standings, five points up on Feildians, then later defeated the Double Blues 2-1 in the championship final.
However, Crusaders will almost certainly need another win over their arch-rivals today. Otherwise, their chances for a second national medal could pretty much disappear.
On the other hand, a victory by Feildians would keep them well in contention to advance past preliminary play.
The eight teams entered in the women’s championship this week are divided into two four-team pools, with the top two finishers in each pool advancing to the medal round.
There, two first-place teams will meet in Sunday’s gold-medal final. The second-place teams will play for a bronze medal.
There are no cross-over semifinals.
Twitter: @telybrendan
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Standings, results, today's schedule
Pool A
Team GP W L T GD Pts
Edmonton 1 1 0 0 +2 3
Feildians 1 0 0 1 0 1
Scarborough 1 0 0 1 0 1
Holy Cross 1 0 1 0 -2 0
———
Wednesday results
At King George V Park, St. John’s
• Scarborough, Ont., GS Utd 1, Feildians Greensleeves 1
• Edmonton Northwest Utd 3, Holy Cross Avalon Ford 1
Today’s Games
At Rainbow Gully Field, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s
4 p.m., Scarborough, Ont., GS Utd vs Edmonton Northwest Utd
At Topsail Complex, C.B.S.
4:30 p.m., Holy Cross Avalon Ford vs Feildians Greensleeves
———
Pool B
Team GP W L T GD Pts
Coquitlam, B.C. 1 1 0 0 +5 3
Beauport, Que. 1 1 0 0 +1 3
Dartmouth, N.S, 1 0 1 0 -1 1
NW Winnipeg 1 0 1 0 -5 0
———
Wednesday results
At Topsail Complex, C.B.S.
Royal Sélect Beauport, Que. 1, United DFC ((Dartmouth) 0
At Rainbow Gully Field, Portugal Cove-Philip’s
Coquitlam, B.C., Metro-Ford SC 5, NW Winnipeg FC 0
Today’s Games
At King George V Park, St. John’s
1 p.m., Coquitlam, B.C., Metro-Ford SC vs United DFC (Dartmouth)
3:30 p.m., Royal Sélect Beauport, Que. vs NW Winnipeg FC
