Women’s team finish the year playing some of their best soccer
The record books will show a 2-8 season for George Brown women’s soccer, but make no mistake, the team took strides as the year progressed.
Saturday’s 1-0 loss against the Seneca Sting was a perfect example of the squad’s improved play. Though George Brown often ceded possession, the Huskies displayed a stout defensive effort against Seneca, denying the Sting much in the way of dangerous scoring opportunities.
George Brown’s lockdown was largely effective, with the exception of a twenty minute stretch heading into half-time. To Seneca’s credit, the Sting seemed to find a greater sense of urgency, culminating in defender Andrea Runco’s team-leading eighth goal in eight games.
Suffering a goal immediately before intermission has been a recurring theme for George Brown. Unlike in games past, the Huskies rebounded in the second half, a testament to their increased cohesiveness and resolve. Limiting the 6-0-2 Sting to a single goal served as quite the contrast to their last head-to-head, a 6-1 Seneca victory on Sept. 22.
For Huskies head coach John Williams, who identified time and familiarity as a team need earlier in the year, it’s been a season of great progress.
“Coming down to the end of it, I think they started to believe in each other, hence a few better scores,” said Williams. “I think today they played a fantastic game”.
According to Sting head coach Luca Sirianni, Seneca’s goal was to win the division, an achievable end should they win both games remaining. He says the message moving forward is to have a better effort than displayed against George Brown, a sentiment echoed by the game’s lone goal scorer.
“This win was a good win, but we could have played better,” said Runco. “Next game is Humber, and it’s a tough game, so we just need to look forward to that and keep improving as we go on”.
The Seneca Sting honoured three graduating athletes in Christiana Carmosino, Jamie Smith and Emma Thomson prior to kick-off, individuals both Sirianni and Runco praised for their work ethic. The experience of being a Seneca Sting athlete is one Thomson hasn’t taken for granted.
“It’s honestly a privilege to be a varsity athlete,” said Thomson. “It’s a lot of honour when we’re on the field.”
Thomson’s remarks are similar to those of four-year Huskies veteran and fellow graduating athlete Farrah Sheikh. While the midfielder describes the spotlight as a little overwhelming at times, she’s proud to play for George Brown.
“It’s like they told us in our first year, it’s not your right to play on a team, it’s a privilege,” said Sheikh. “You’ve got to earn your spot and once you’ve earned it, there’s a feeling of pride.”
In the eyes of defender Francesca Girardo, who has three years of Huskies soccer under her belt, being a George Brown athlete has meant having a team to fall back on.
“We always had those other 18 girls who were going to support you and encourage you and push you,” said Girardo. “On the field and off the field, I think that’s what being a Husky is. It’s another word for family.”
