On Saturday afternoon, the Lambton Lions suffered their first loss of the season, a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the visiting Conestoga Condors at the Lambton College Soccer Field.
For 80 minutes, the Lions outscored the Condors and showed signs of life on both ends of the field. However, it was a rocky start to the game that put the Lions behind the proverbial eight-ball before the game really got going.
The Condors had their sights set on a big day right from the opening kickoff. In the first minute, Megan Voutour found her way past a defender and put the ball in the back of the net. Conestoga seized the momentum with a goal on their first shot of the game, and it looked as though the floodgates were about to open.
After two more goals for the Condors, one of which came off the foot of Voutour, a penalty kick was awarded to Conestoga. Up stepped Voutour, who proceeded to calmly find the back of the net to complete the hat trick, and it was 4-0 for the visitors in the blink of an eye.
Instead of rolling over and conceding the game early on, the Lions continued to find their rhythm and were rewarded for their efforts just before the 30’ mark. First year striker Abby Allardyce was the recipient of a lovely through ball and found the back of the net for the Lions’ first goal of the season.
The goal from Allardyce was also Lambton's first shot on target of the match.
After the Condors overpowered the Lions for most of the first half, the second frame was much more even. Conestoga managed five shots in the second half, to four for the Lions, and the flow of the game was much more back-and-forth.
Both teams traded chances, but neither team was able to find the back of the net again.
Goalkeeper Tori MacCrea bounced back after a rough start to post 10 saves for the Lions, several of which were high quality chances from close range for the Condors.
For the Lions, Saturday marked their first game of the season after just four days of tryouts and practice time. While the result didn’t go their way in the end, the Lions’ resolve down the stretch and their ability to stay motivated after a rough start gives the coaching staff a pair of positives to build around as the season begins to unfold.
Lambton returns to the field on Saturday, September 14th when they head on the road to take on the Sheridan Bruins. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.