Critical Point Earned As Women's Soccer Holds On To Playoff Hope
The Brandon Bobcats found the crossbar twice in the second half, but they were not able to find the back of the net as first year goalkeeper Lydia Balsillie kept the clean sheet and her Blazers held on for a scoreless tie on Saturday afternoon at The Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex.
Powerful striker Bailee Ploshynsky gave the CMU back four all they could handle and three times found a way to get behind the defensive line in the first half, only to have Balsillie snuff out each and every scoring chance. On the other end, CMU created a few chances of their own. Marijka Yashyshyn tried her luck twice from distance in the opening half and the relentless running of Claudia Dueck came close to a Blazer goal in the 40th minute.
Recently selected The Recovery Spot Female Athlete of the Month, Kirsten Friesen slotted in at right back for her squad on Saturday afternoon and put together a solid defensive effort. In midfield, Yashyshyn, Esther Schwarzkopf and Naomi Klassen were a formidable trio in possession and in cooling off the supply from the Bobcat midfielders to the dangerous strikers who have combined to score the most goals in MCAC Women's Soccer so far through the season.
The single point moves CMU out of the cellar in the conference standings and sets up a very important series of matches for the Blazers to close out the 2016 season; both in confidence and on the ladder. CMU trails fourth-place Providence by five points for the final playoff position entering their final four matches, with the opportunity of picking up a maximum of twelve points. The final regular season match of 2016, sees Providence visit CMU; a match that may send one team through and end one team's chances.
Printed from: blazers.cmu.ca/critical-point-earned-as-womens-soccer-holds-on-to-playoff-hope
