On 26 April, MGCI’s girls’ varsity soccer team played in an all-day tournament at Monarch Park CI. This pre-season tournament allowed the 4 participating teams to test out the field before beginning league games.
The Cougars’ first match was against Monarch Park CI, the hosting team. Midfielder and Grade 12 Madeleine Deschenes scored an early goal to take the lead. Unfortunately, the girls weren’t able to keep up the advantage as Monarch Park answered with two more goals in the first half, which was maintained for a 2-1 defeat.
The next game was held against Oakwood CI. MGCI was again defeated closely 3-2, with Grade 11 forward Michelle Nyamekye scoring both goals for the Cougars.
Spirits were low going into the final game of the day, as numerous injuries and fatigue took a toll on the team. However, this obstacle was soon overcome as the girls fought for a 3-2 win against Riverdale CI, with forward Anbuja Srikanthan scoring her first goal of the day. Nyamekye took the other two.
“I think we all played really well!” commented team captain Madeleine Deschenes on the girls’ performance. “We have to work on our endurance and cooperating more as a team, but that’s what the tournament was for anyways. Plus I think it’s safe to say we all had fun, even if we got a little beaten up and sore, so I think we played great!”
Since the tournament was friendly, there were no play-off games. The Cougars will begin their regular season on 28 April, against Forest Hill CI.
MGCI Girl’s Varsity team at Monarch Park CI.
Photo courtesy of Shela Qiu.
