LONDON, Ont. – Western women's soccer seniors Amanda Boyle and Annabel Chan led the Mustangs in their OUA semifinal match against the Queen's Gaels, but despite the effort from both fifth-year players, Western would ultimately fall to the Gaels 2-0 on Friday evening on Mustangs Field.
"I'm really proud of the team this season," said Western head coach Martin Painter, reflecting on his team's success. "We have a lot of fourth-year players and this is their last year. I'm very proud of all those players and what they've done – and for our younger players – it's time to improve for next year."
After a shootout victory over the Guelph Gryphons this past week, the Mustangs hoped to keep the momentum rolling against Queen's in the next round of the playoffs.
The first half of Friday's semifinal seemed to lean in favour of the purple and white, as the Mustangs controlled possession. Despite the advantage, Queen's maintained pressure throughout the half, forcing Western's rookie goaltender Megan Girardi to make four key saves in the first 45 minutes. Both teams had chances in the first half, yet the game would remain scoreless at the break.
The Mustangs came out of the gate with intensity to start the second half, as Boyle and fourth-year midfielder Jess Friend gave Western their best scoring chances within the first three minutes. However, the scoring drought was broken by Queen's midfielder Matija Skoko – giving the Gaels the first goal of the match in the 58th minute. Skoko would eventually put the game away with her second of the game in the 85th minute.
"The future looks bright for Western," said Chan, praising her goaltender's performance. "It was definitely a really big game for Megan. It's hard coming in as a first-year player, especially in the playoffs, but I thought she did really well. She was very composed. I think she'll be a very big part of the team moving forward."
Injuries plagued the Mustangs during the game, as fifth-year defender Sabrina De Nard, who has been a key contributor for the team, was unable to play following an injury in their previous match. Midfielder Grace Grafham and defender Sonja Cvetkovic were unable to play in the second half after both fell to injuries midway through the first half.
"We're missing Sabrina De Nard, who's probably been our best player all year. Losing three key players like that certainly does have an impact," said Painter, recognizing the importance of his star players.
"Being a fifth-year player, this is going to be one of my last games. I'm really proud of all the girls. We've had a lot of success in the past, unfortunately we came up a little short today," said Chan. "It's been a great experience and a pleasure to come up with all these girls."
With the loss, the Mustangs will now play the Windsor Lancers in the OUA bronze medal match at Mustangs Field on Sunday. Kick-off is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
The two teams played to 0-0 draws in each meeting during the regular season.
Following the bronze medal match at Mustangs Field, Queen's will face UOIT in the championship match at 2 p.m.
