Second match, second hat-trick, in magical Sunday for Guelph United
Last weekend, it was Olivia Brown. Yesterday, it was Zoë Rowe. Our women’s team started the season with two hat-tricks in a row, and yesterday, in Vaughan, won the first match of the league season, an impressive 4-2 result against Woodbridge Strikers.
Our hosts started the match better, and quickly took the lead, through Maaja Fischer, and increased it, after a Samantha Murphy goal, shortly after half-time. The last half hour, however, was all Guelph United. Zoë Rowe, in her second appearance for her new team, took over, and scored 3 times in a span of only 6 minutes. An impressive display that stunned our hosts, who conceded once more, Olivia Brown bagging her 4th goal of the season.
The win lifts our team to second place in the Premier Division, only behind current champions NDC Ontario. Next weekend, we’re on the road again, facing Vaughan Azzurri.
Meanwhile, our men’s team travelled to Windsor for the second time in a span of two weeks, after losing to Windsor City FC in a penalty shootout, in the first round of the L1 Cup. This time, GUFC didn’t leave anything to chance, and scored a brace through Aiden Borges who, after being our leading Reserves goal-scorer in 2023, bagged his first-ever senior team goals. With 4 points in 2 games, Guelph United currently sits in 4th place of the Championship Division, and is heading to Sudbury next weekend, for a tough matchup against second-place Sudbury Cyclones.
Woodbridge Strikers - Guelph United (women) 2-4 (1-0)
Goals: Fischer (‘29), Murphy (‘55) - Rowe (‘61, ‘63, ‘67), Brown (‘77).
Yellow cards: Hylton-Pelaia, Rogers - Sowers.
Guelph United: Jones - Schaffer, Starcevic, Al. Pires (‘46 Ward), Geady (‘12 Neville) - Stavropoulos, Sowers (‘74 Pike), Knafelc - Rizakos, Brown (‘79 Oommen), Rowe.
Windsor City FC - Guelph United (men) 0-2 (0-2)
Goals: Borges (‘38, ‘42)
Yellow cards: Liburdi, Fontecha - Andoga, Harrington, Rioux.
Guelph United: Harrington - Oakley, Fernandez, Bandula (‘75 Andoga), Lopreiato - Alexa (‘66 Pender), Ostrun (‘66 Rioux), Sears - Sargsyan (‘90+4 Clack), Tinmouth (‘89 Spirkoski), Borges (‘75 Qushair).