Hat-trick heaven for Prince and Ontario in U-16 Girls final
Posted on 23 July 2011 in All Stars
Nichelle Prince bagged a hat trick in Saturday's U-16 Girls final at the 2011 Nutrilite All Stars in Hamilton, ON, leading the host side Ontario to a 3:2 victory over Québec.Prince's three goals gave Ontario a commanding 3-0 lead but Québec rebounded finding two goals near the end of the match. Ultimately it proved to be too little too late and the hosts prevailed by the narrowest of margins.
I feel amazing, Prince said after the match. I know I couldn't have done it without my teammates, they helped me through everything. Without them I wouldn't have scored this many goals, so I'm proud of the whole team for what we achieved today.
Prince scored seven goals throughout the tournament and cemented her position as one of the brightest young stars in Canada's women's youth program.
As it had been during much of the tournament, Ontario was the dominant side throughout the early portion of the match. The match looked settled after Prince slotted in her third goal.
To Québec's credit, les Bleues showed a resilient spirit in digging deep to find the two late goals on another sweltering day at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton.
Midfielder Sabrina Santarossa did well to finish her chance while under pressure from defenders to cut the lead to 3-1. Magalie Gravel then pulled her side to within one goal with a stunning free kick to the top left corner from 24 yards out.
Unfortunately for Québec, the referee blew the final whistle only seconds after Gravel's goal.
Ontario finished the tournament undefeated with a record of two wins, one draw and no losses.
The 2011 National Championships feature the Nutrilite All Stars Boys and Girls competitions from 19-23 July and the Club Championships from 5-10 October. Through 12 competitions in five venues, the National Championships will welcome more than 2,500 players, staff and officials in July and October. The National Championships is the umbrella tournament for Canada's premier amateur competitions, from the senior level Challenge Trophy and Jubilee Trophy competitions down to the U-14 youth levels.
