Lawrence Park's girls keep winning

[attach]5791[/attach]If Lawrence Park Collegiate’s girls soccer team is looking to repeat as city champs this season they were off to a nice start in the opening game.

Led by their captain, Meghan Glibbery, who scored two goals, and starting midfielder Lauren Mauceri, who notched a third, Lawrence Park was able to earn a decisive 3-0 victory over East York Athenas on April 18. The win, which came as no surprise to their coach, Errol Platt.

“The clean sheet was what we expected given our defence,” he said. “Our offence kind of lost interest after the first 15 minutes.”

Nevertheless, his team’s offence seemed plenty interested at the start of the game, scoring two quick goals in the opening minutes. The Panthers got on the board after a hard shot of theirs was knocked aside by East York’s goalie, Konstantina Kirazis, setting up the corner kick. A nicely placed pass from the corner was calmly headed in by team captain, Glibbery.

Minutes later, after receiving a lead pass with no one in her way, Mauceri dribbled up to the Athenas’ net and kicked one past Kirazis.

“I got a good pass through the middle and then I kind of had a break away and I just shot,” said Mauceri.

For the remainder of the half the ball mostly remained in centre field as the two teams battled for possession. Kathy Smith, co-coach of East York, said she thinks the two early goals through her players off.

“We got off to a very slow start,” she said. “They scored two goals on us in the first five minutes of play and I think that caused the team to play rattled and we didn’t play a very good first half at all.

“The second half we played better. We did give up one goal in the second half but I was pleased with the way we played in the second half.”

The Athenas came out of halftime with a renewed focus and had a few good looks at the net early on in the second. The Panthers seemed prepared for the onslaught though and soon regained control of the game.

“We were expecting to come out strong in the second half and our plan was just to weather the early storm and keep them off the score sheet,” Platt said.

Maurceri showed her energy attacking the net and got ahead of the defence with the ball on more than a few occasions. However, it was Glibbery who scored the only goal of the second half. Platt said he credits the senior with not only their impressive finish performance last season but their overall run in the last four years.

“She’s been part of the significant turn around over the last four years,” he said. “She kind of heralded the kind of player that was going to come in.”

Platt said the team has not lost a regular season game in the four years and hopes to keep the streak alive this season.

“We’ve been on quite a run with the girls,” he said. “The talent level is very high at the school.

“Last year we won the city championship and this year I wouldn’t be surprised if we repeated. But we got to play the games and the girls have to play to their ability and we have to want to win.”