SARNIA – Tuesday night wasn’t our night.
Despite their best efforts, the Lambton Women’s Soccer Team was unable to find the back of the net on Tuesday night, dropping a 3-0 decision to the visiting St. Clair Saints at the Lambton College Soccer Field.
The loss drops Lambton’s record to 1-1-0 (3 points) in 2021, while the Saints improve to 1-0-1 (4 points).
On a night where the forecast was expected to be a factor, Mother Nature kept her distance for the full 90 minutes. As the field started to dry up, the offense for Lambton seemed to follow suit, as they were held off the scoresheet after posting four goals in their first outing of the year.
St. Clair broke through early in the first half, as Cassie Nicholas took a free kick from the top of the box and curled it over a wall of Lambton defenders and into the bottom corner in the 15th minute. Keeper Toria McRae (Sarnia, Ont.) made a diving attempt at the ball, but the perfect placement was just out of reach.
Despite falling behind early, the Lions continued to push on offense. They sent 13 shots towards the net in the first half, forcing St. Clair keeper Athena Dimario Done to make five saves to keep the Lions off the scoreboard.
Just before the half, the Saints struck again as Melissa Watson found the back of the net in the 42nd minute to give the visitors an extra boost of momentum heading into the second half.
It was a back-and-forth affair over the final 45 minutes of the game, with strong defensive play from both sides. Lambton mustered just four shots towards the St. Clair net, two of which were on target, while the Saint had three of their seven attempts hit the net.
Midway through the second half, St. Clair padded their lead with a third goal, and they would maintain a three-goal advantage down the stretch to pick up the victory.
Lambton now has three days of rest and training before their next game, as they return to the field on Saturday afternoon for their first road contest of the season. The three days of rest will be beneficial for several Lions who suffered various injuries in Tuesday’s contest.
The Lions head on the road to take on the Fanshawe Falcons on Saturday, September 25th in London, Ontario. It will be a homecoming, of sorts, for four members of the Lions who are originally from London.
Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m., with the Men’s Game to follow afterwards.