Royals split results with Langara
By Davie Wong, Sports Editor
Week five of PACWEST soccer acti0n was much anticipated for the Royals. A double-header against the Langara Falcons headed into the Thanksgiving weekend was the highlight of the PACWEST, and the Royals had the centre spot.
Game one started out with a bang as Mikayla Hamilton blasted home a beautiful goal four minutes after kickoff. Sonali Dholliwar doubled the Royals lead as she put away a rare goal at the 18 minute mark. Captain Sam Kell finished the early game rout with a third goal in the 21 minute, and just like that the Royals were up 3-0 before half time.
But the score isn’t the most indicative of performances. The Falcons had their chances, but Alexa Gazzola, who was playing in her first game since injury, was strong in front of her net. Her performance carried over into the second half where the Falcons peppered the Royals with shots. The Royals found their game winner on the end of a Mikayla Hamilton volley in the 78 minute, their only shot of the half. At the end of 90 minutes, the Royals had won a convincing 4-0 win, despite looking a bit worse for wear in the second half.
Game two brought a much different match. Both teams played an attacking style to open the game, but the Royals just couldn’t seem to solve the Falcons keeper Sierra Grieco. On the other end, Alexa Gazzola was strong for the Royals, but the Falcons finally found their opportunity 40 minutes in. Nicole Bell would find the back of the net, the first of the game.
The second half was little more than a fizzled mess as both teams ran in hard-nosed defences. The Royals stalled offensive and never were able to recover, losing 1-0 to the Falcons. On the bright side, their defence did not allow another goal either. The loss was tough on the team, but will surely make them stronger. However, it’s doesn’t help them in the standings.
With their 1-1 split weekend, the Royals are still at the top of the table with a record of 5-3-1 and 16 points. With three games left in the season, the Royals look to be strong contenders for PACWEST regular season winners.
