Vancouver Whitecaps Prospects Women recorded their third straight PCSL win, as they downed visiting Kelowna United 7-0 on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Simon Fraser University.
The Whitecaps scored early and often against their road-weary Okanagan visitors, jumping out to a 6-0 halftime lead. First half substitute Lauren Hamson topped the day's scoresheet with two goals, while goalkeeper Shimone Slomowitz recorded the shutout.
Forward Nikki Wright opened the scoring in the tenth minute, as Tess Meyer on the left sent the ball across, and Wright had time to control the ball in the box before slotting it past the keeper.
Five minutes later, Janine Frazao on the right, played the ball back to Kirsteen Buchan at the top of the area, and she curled a superb left-footed strike into the top left corner beyond the reach of Kelowna goalkeeper Jeanette Paine for 2-0.
Buchan almost scored again just past the half-hour mark, as from a corner kick, she sent a header glancing off the top of the Kelowna crossbar.
On 36 minutes, Hamson took a feed from Melissa Bowen and overpowered Paine with a powerful shot to make it a three-goal advantage. Three minutes later and the Whitecaps had a fourth goal, as Natalie Boyd lobbed a high ball ahead to Alicia Tesan, who neatly chipped it over the onrushing Kelowna keeper and into the empty net.
Two minutes after that, Hamson did well to turn in the box on a pass from Buchan, and hit another scorcher to beat Paine to the near side for 5-0. And almost like clockwork, the Whitecaps made it 6-0 another two minutes on, as some nice passing saw Frazao set up Tessa Meyer in the box and the midfielder made no mistake.
The Whitecaps continued to have chances after the break, but Paine did well to keep the scoreline from getting worse for the visitors. She stopped Sarah Fitzsimmons with a diving save on minute 48. Then on 65 minutes, Paine was at full stretch to touch over a rising close-range effort from Melanie Shannon that seemed destined for the top left corner.
At the other end, Slomowitz kept her sheet clean with a good stop on United's Paige Howes on minute 75.
The Whitecaps continued to press for the full 90 minutes. With five minutes remaining, Frazao was stopped on a breakaway by the Kelowna keeper.
Finally on minute 89, two substitutes combined to score one last time for the home side. April Coffin showed good determination to break in on the left of goal, and then squared it for Sarah Fitzsimmons for an easy tap-in.
The Whitecaps improve to 3-1-0 and move into second place in the PCSL Premier Women's standings behind Victoria Stars, while Kelowna fall to 0-3-0. Next up for the Prospects Women is a trip to Cloverdale Athletic Park on Tuesday, June 3, to face Surrey United.
Whitecaps Prospects Women - starting line-up v Kelowna United
Shimone Slomowitz; Brienna Shaw, Chelsea Stang, Melissa Bowen; Janine Frazao, Roslyn Hicks, Natalie Boyd, Tessa Meyer; Nikki Wright, Kirsteen Buchan, Alicia Tesan
