By Alan Douglas/whitecapsfc.com
In a clash of the Pacific Coast Soccer League's two undefeated clubs, Vancouver Whitecaps Prospects Women rallied for a dramatic 2-1 away win to Victoria Highlanders FC at Bear Mountain Stadium in Langford, BC, on Saturday afternoon.
With several players unavailable due to high school graduation activities, Prospects coach Jesse Symons had to field an improvised backline, with Nicole Setterlund dropping back to play at centre back in a 3-4-3 formation.
The Whitecaps started quickly, taking the game to the home side. However, Vancouver were playing into a brisk wind, and had trouble generating good scoring chances against Victoria's strong defence. When Vancouver did get shots on target, there wasn't enough on them to seriously trouble Highlanders goalkeeper Stephanie Parker.
After the first ten minutes, the home side started to take over. Moments after having a goal called back for offside, Victoria opened scoring on 17 minutes, breaking Vancouver's five-game shutout streak. Paige Scott broke in from the left, and while her hard shot was blocked by goalkeeper Gurveen Clair, the rebound came out front. A Vancouver defender tried to clear just as Highlanders scoring hero Liz Hansen tried to shoot, with the ball ricocheting off both players' boots before flying into the net.
The home side had another good chance at the half's midway point, as a downward header by sweeper Shayla Behrens from a corner kick was blocked by a Prospects defender at the post.
The balance of the half was evenly played, with few chances for either side, until the Whitecaps rallied with a flurry of activity in the final few minutes. With two minutes to go, Jenna Richardson sent Abigail Raymer on a partial breakaway, but she rolled her shot just wide.
Vancouver trailed 1-0 at the break.
The second half was a different story, as the Whitecaps dominated play. With the wind at their back, and a faster transition game, Vancouver pushed for an equalizer. A free kick from Natalie Boyd skimmed the top of the crossbar minutes after the restart. Then on 56 minutes, Taylor Shannik chipped the keeper nicely, but put her effort just over the Highlanders net.
The equalizing goal finally came with a quarter of an hour remaining, as Raymer fed it ahead to Richardson in the box. She turned well and fired a hard rising shot which Parker palmed up in the air, but with not enough force to keep it from dropping into the goal. It was the striker's sixth goal of the season.
Vancouver pushed for the winner in the final minutes. Raymer and Richardson both came close with powerful blasts, then with a minute to go, they combined for the winner. Richardson fought off her marker and played it to Raymer at the top of the Highlanders box. The 17-year-old Victoria native stepped around the last defender before slotting a shot past Parker for her league-leading ninth goal of the season.
The win ups the Prospects record to 6W-0L-0D, while Victoria drop to 3W-1L-0D in the PCSL Premier Division standings. The Whitecaps now host TSS Academy at Simon Fraser University Field #4 on Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. PT.
Scoring summary:
17' VIC - Liz Hansen
75' VAN - Jenna Richardson
89' VAN - Abigail Raymer
Whitecaps Prospects Women
1.Gurveen Clair; 17.Abigail Phillips, 13.Nicole Setterlund, 3.Nikki Ambrose; 11.Kendra Williams (19.Maryse Reichgeld 45'), 16.Vanessa Kovacs (14.Jaclyn Sawicki 65'), 4.Natalie Boyd, 29.Tessa Meyer; 14.Jaclyn Sawicki (15.Taylor Shannik 42'; 11.Kendra Williams 85'), 21.Abigail Raymer, 22.Jenna Richardson
