[1]The Loyalist Lancers women’s soccer team heads to Kingston for its first playoff game Thursday. Photo by Taylor Broderick
By Taylor Broderick [2]
BELLEVILLE – For the first time in nine years, the Loyalist Lancers’ women’s soccer team [3] has made it to the playoffs – and on Thursday night it won its first playoff game.
The Lancers beat St. Lawrence College [4] 3-2 in a shootout. The game was played at St. Lawrence in Kingston.
Speaking about his team making it to the playoffs, head coach Steve Whitehead said: “We’re very proud of the team. Every single point that we earned was important.”
Whitehead has been connected to the team for 11 years and has spent the past four years as head coach.
“It’s a very competitive soccer league. Some of the top soccer players in Ontario and some of the best teams in Canada” are there, he says.
Team captain Stephanie Semark says it is a great feeling to be in the playoffs after being on the team for the last three years.
“We worked a lot harder and had lots of practices almost every single night … We studied and learned a lot over our games,” she says.
Megan MacLeod is an alternating assistant captain of the team and says it’s a big deal to be on the team this year.
“It means a lot to be a part of a team that has made it this far and has won more games than the team has combined in the last few years,” says MacLeod.