Stingers shut-out Gaiters for first win

Women’s soccer team dominates during Friday night showdown

The Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team began their season on a positive note when they hosted the Bishop’s Gaiters in their home opener at Loyola on Friday night.

The match got off to a good start as the Stingers dominated possession early in the game. At the 10-minute mark, the Stingers got on the scoreboard with a corner kick from midfielder Frédérique Labelle. Labelle gave a solid cross into the box, where it was headed in by Concordia defender Stephanie Liganor. Concordia had the early lead over Bishop’s 1-0. The Gaiters tried to apply pressure and take back the momentum, but couldn’t break Concordia’s solid defense.

Five minutes after Concordia’s first goal, the Stingers scored an identical second goal. Once again, Labelle delivered another corner kick with finesse and power that Liganor finished off for her second goal of the night, giving Concordia a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes of play. The Stingers took over the game from there and dominated possession. The Stingers had more shots on net and did not let the Gaiters get past midfield.

After 20 minutes, unfortunately, Labelle got her leg tangled up with a Bishop’s player and was injured on the play. She was to be substituted by Shauna Zilversmit. The half ended with Concordia leading Bishop’s 2-0.

The second half was much of the same for the Stingers. Even though the score did not change, Concordia kept dominating the play. The Stingers did not allow many chances for Bishop’s to score as their defense continued its strong play. From the first whistle, it was clear that Concordia was the stronger team. Concordia’s complete team effort led to an impressive first win of the season. After the game, Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez was proud of his team.

“I was content with the game. We got two early goals [and] I was very optimistic even before the match,” said Sanchez. “It was great to win. I liked how we managed the game, and I told [the team] at halftime they weren’t going to score on us and I am happy with the result.”

After her strong game, Liganor had this to say about her stellar play: “I love to be back. This being my last season with the team, I really got into it and I just wanted to play my game, not having played a lot last year.”

It was a great way to start the season for a team who had a disappointing season last year.

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