Bruins’ Soccer Dominant in First Home Games

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ADAM JOHNSTON

Sheridan’s soccer teams got off to an impressive start at home Saturday with crushing wins over their Redeemer Royals counterparts.

The women kicked off the back-to-back games with a dominating 7-1 performance. Their offensive attack was smothering, spending much of the game in Royals territory. Attacking midfielder Myjnairii Perkins handled much smaller defenders in the area all game, scoring the opening marker in the second minute.

“I thought that we played really hard,” said Perkins. “I think that the first goal made a big impact on the game because it happened in the first couple of minutes and it just gave us that extra push to keep pushing and pushing.”

The Bruins added one more goal just before halftime as Jessica Capone finished a breakaway following a remarkable through ball from Perkins led her behind the defenders. The floodgates opened in the second half, as the Bruins scored five goals – three of them by striker Michaela Krampert and one each from Natasha Priestman and Victoria Folch – while allowing one late Royals tally.

Any advance by the Royals was quickly stifled by the Bruin defense, illustrated by a lopsided 22-6 attempts on goal in favour of the home team.

Head coach Paul Angelini says it was defense by design – a strategy that he says informs all other aspects of his team’s game.

Bruins’ Myjnairii Perkins is all smiles awaiting a high five from teammate Michaela Krampert after another Sheridan goal.

“We play a sweeper system, we don’t play a flat-back four,” said Angelini. “So that means a sweeper is always in the passing lanes, so anything that gets played into space, our sweeper is supposed to be there and clear it away, or to get possession and to play it back to the keeper and then everybody gets back and we get our shape back and we begin an attack out from the back again.”

The men’s team followed suit, blanking the visitors 5-0 on the strength of two goals by striker Khody Ellis.

They too, opened the scoring early off a planned corner kick play in the 10th minute that caught the Royals by surprise.

Bruins captain David Velastegui sent a ball through the box that ricocheted off Ellis’ head directly to Raheem Edwards for an easy header into the back of the net.

“It was a corner by David, our captain,” said Edwards. “We know he sends most of his balls back post, so we sent Khody, our right wing back to the back post, he nicked the ball, and I tapped it in.”

Sheridan captain David Velastegui blasts a shot past the Redeemer goalkeeper in the Bruins 5-0 win over the Royals Saturday

Ilko Vidackovich and Velastegui also notched goals in the Bruins victory, their second shut out in as many games, as they defeated Mohawk College 9-0 earlier in the week.

“I hope to win the whole thing. I wanna win the league, I wanna win the provincials, and I wanna win nationals,” said men’s coach Andrew Seuradge. “We’re looking to score a lot of goals this year. It could’ve been a 9-0 game today too but we missed some chances.”

These early season wins, have raised expectations for head coach Andrew Seuradge and his squad, especially as the men’s team will be hosting the 2014 Canadian College Athletic Association national championships Nov. 5-8.

“I hope to win the whole thing. I wanna win the league, I wanna win the provincials, and I wanna win nationals,” said Seuradge. “We’re looking to score a lot of goals this year. It could’ve been a 9-0 game today too but we missed some chances that we should’ve put behind (the goalkeeper). But you’re only as good as your last game.”

Edwards echoes his coach’s sentiments.

After an overcast day, the sun finally appears as Bruins’ Raheem Edwards looks on

“There’s really high expectations since we’re hosting and everything,” he said. “So the ultimate goal is to bring it to nationals and to win it. We’re capable of doing it, as you can see on the pitch. We’re clicking together, so as long as we stay focused, we got it.”

However, it wasn’t all good news for Bruins soccer over the weekend. After streaking down the near side of the field and sending a blast past the Royals’ goalkeeper in the 65th minute for his second goal of the game, Ellis pulled up holding the back of his leg and was forced to leave the game. The women’s side, already missing some key members of their own, lost Clare Davoren to an apparent knee injury.

“This is our second loss. We lost our sweeper, who we happen to think, if she’s not the best in the province, Ali (Palmer) is at least in the top three,” said Angelini. “To lose Clare, who plays in front of Ali, she’s the sweeper and Clare is the stopper, to lose two center backs in two games, and they’re two starters, it really is a tough blow.”

The Lady Bruins will host the Niagara Knights on Wednesday, while the men will play host to the Knights Tuesday evening.