Plett's Golden Boots Leads Women's Soccer To First Win Of Young Season
After scoring all four of her team's goals through Women's Soccer's first two matches; a 1-1 draw at home to USB and a 3-3 draw away to Assiniboine on Saturday, Camille Plett entered Sunday's critical away match to Providence firing on all cylinders. The Pilots were also flying high, soaring after a lop-sided 6-1 win over the Red River Rebels in their 2018 MCAC Home Opener.
It took little time for the visitors to open up a two goal advantage. On five minutes, first-year midfielder Kezia Balzer received a pass in the penalty area, pulled the ball onto her left foot and blasted CMU into a 1-0 lead. One minute later, Marijka Yaschyshyn's cross fell to Plett who doubled the Blazers' lead.
The remainder of the first half chances belonged to the Pilots who eventually broke through with a goal of their own in the 38th minute. Kristy Yashuk came close in the 7th minute, but her effort sailed over Lydia Balsillie's goal. In the 26th minute, Mikayla Myer did the same, narrowly missing her opportunity to put Providence on the scoreboard. When the Pilots eventually broke through, it was Yashuk playing Myer in on goal and the rookie striker calmly dribbled around Balsillie, cutting the deficit to 2-1 just before halftime.
Less than 10 minutes after the team's restarted the second half, Plett would collect her second of the match and sixth of the season, carrying defenders with her as she charged CMU back to a two-goal advantage. The closest Providence would come to scoring in the final 45 minutes would in the 62nd minute when Yashuk beat Balsillie but was denied by the crossbar.
Rookie striker Melissa Gilbert had two chances to make the score 4-1 in the 67th minute but on both attempts Morgan Ardies proved to be her equal. Plett put the match to bed in the 73rd minute, scoring her third goal of the day from the penalty spot after the fifth-year midfielder was pulled down in the box by Pilot's defender Claire Yager. Yager's foul resulted in a second yellow card, reducing the home team to 10-men for the final 15 minutes of the match.
The win improves CMU's record to 1-2-0 on the season, lifting the team into second place in the MCAC Women's Soccer standings with 5 points. The team boards a charter on Thursday morning for Calgary via Medicine Hat to take part in a series of weekend friendlies versus the Alberta Collegiate Athletics Conference's Ambrose Lions on Friday and the SAIT Trojans. The Trojans are currently ranked #7 in the CCAA National Women's Soccer Rankings and should prove a tough test for the Blazers. CMU returns home to play the vastly improved ACC Cougars on September 30th at the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex.
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