U-16 Girls: Aurora needs penalties to defeat Mt. Pearl, capture Group B
Alexis Reid scored in the eighth round of penalty kicks to lift the Saskatchewan champion Aurora Royals over Mt. Pearl SC (NL) 0:0, and 4:3 on penalties at the U-16 Cup at the 2012 Canadian Soccer Association National Club Championships in Charlottetown, PE.
The win gives Saskatchewan top spot in Group B, while Mt. Pearl will settle for second.
The game was a back and forth affair, with each team getting its share of opportunities despite it being a scoreless draw in regulation time.
One of Mt. Pearl's best opportunities came in the 77th minute, when captain Teri Murphy broke into the right side of the box. However, her shot was deflected high by Saskatchewan keeper RaeAnn Ballantyne and eventually cleared from the zone.
Saskatchewan would get an opportunity shortly thereafter when Mt. Pearl keeper Janelle Forristall ventured out of her net to play the ball, but Saskatchewan couldn't capitalize on the opportunity.
The game ended up going to penalties, and each team had its fair share of good and bad breaks.
Mt. Pearl's Heather Adams drew first blood in the second round, but Aurora's Brynn Bowles answered one round later.
Samantha Casey put Mt. Pearl up 2-1 in the fifth round of kicks, forcing Aurora midfielder Taylor Bubnick to score to keep it going. Bubnick froze Forristall with her kick to send it to sudden death.
Both teams scored in the sixth round, and both missed in the seventh to keep the showdown going.
Samantha Power's miss for Mt. Pearl in the eighth round set the stage for Reid, who went high to Forristall's left to seal it for the Royals.
Aurora's victory means they will play Manitoba champion FC Northwest Explosion in Cornwall at 17.30 local time Saturday, while Mt. Pearl SC will play Alberta's Calgary NSD Saints at 12.30 local time, also in Cornwall.
Bayhawks claim Group A, defeat Halifax Dunbrack SC
A six-goal outburst in the second half allowed the Burlington Bayhawks (ON) to stake their claim as the top team in Group A, defeating Nova Scotia's Halifax Dunbrack SC 7:0.
Nova Scotia kept the game tight early on, but Andrea Petrina broke through in the 35th minute to give Burlington a 1-0.
The flood gates opened in the second half, starting with Veronica Johnson's goal less than a minute in. Petrina would add her second of the game and sixth of the tournament in the 53rd minute, and Karen Tamayo completed a run of three goals in 13 minutes with her second of the tournament in the 59th minute.
Following a Mackenzie Stacey goal in the 72nd minute, the Bayhawks would add another two goals in the final three minutes courtesy of Genevieve Crotty and Johnson's second of the game to round out the scoring.
Burlington have yet to concede a goal in the tournament while scoring 17, with Miranda Horn posting her second straight clean sheet.
Burlington's next game will be Saturday in Cornwall at 10.00 local time, as they'll face Mountain United FC (BC), who were runners-up in Group D.
Despite the loss, Nova Scotia claims second place in Group A, and their next game will be Saturday at 15.00 local time in Cornwall, when they take on Group D winners Lakeshore SC (QC).
Alberta defeats Manitoba to win Group C
The Alberta champion Calgary NSD Saints were dominant in capturing top spot in Group C, putting on a showcase in its 4:0 victory over Manitoba's FC Northwest Explosion.
Ellen Hall opened the scoring for Calgary in the 23rd minute, which almost held up through the end of the first half, but Kaitlyn Lomsnes scored her third of the tournament in added time just before the end of the first half to make it 2-0 Saints.
The game stayed 2-0 until the 70th minute, when Natalie Arnett also scored her third of the tournament to give Calgary a comfortable three-goal cushion.
Hall's second of the game and fourth of the tournament in the 75th minute put the game out of reach.
Saints keeper Sophia Traxler played a solid game to register a clean sheet, as did the defenders in front of her.
Alberta's win means they will play Mt. Pearl SC (NL) in Cornwall at 12.30 local time Saturday in a crossover game.
Meanwhile, by virtue of goal differential over New Brunswick, Manitoba claims second place in Group C despite losing to Alberta, and they advance to play the Group B champions, the Aurora Royals (SK), in Cornwall at 17.30 local time Saturday.
Lakeshore takes out Mountain United FC, wins Group D
Julia Liguori scored both goals to lead Quebec champions Lakeshore SC over Mountain United FC (BC) by a score of 2:1, claiming Group D.
Liguori's first goal came in the 10th minute, beating British Columbia keeper Rebecca Defer to put her team up one.
However, Mountain United FC would respond before the end of the first half, as Reetu Johal capitalized on an opportunity and tied the game 1-1 going into halftime.
However, Liguori would answer in the 56th minute, putting Lakeshore SC ahead for good.
Forward Y. Gabriela Cuerno was a force on the pitch for Quebec, controlling the game on and away from the ball to help her team make the most of its opportunities.
Lakeshore SC's next game will be Saturday in Cornwall at 15.00 local time, as they'll face Halifax Dunbrack SC (NS), who were runners-up in Group A.
Despite the loss, British Columbia finished second in Group D, and their next game will be Saturday at 10.00 local time in Cornwall, when they take on the Burlington Bayhawks (ON), who won Group A.