Late goal ends Mustangs' hopes of Ontario Cup title

Late goal ends Mustangs' hopes of Ontario Cup title

EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer On most occasions, the thought of using penalty kicks to decide a match would start the stomachs of many soccer players churning. But the Georgetown Mustangs would have actually preferred to push their Ontario Cup under-13 girls' quarter-final contest against the defending-champion Brampton's Brams United Blaze to a shootout rather than lose the way things turned out on Saturday afternoon at Cedarvale Park. Visiting Brams United had tested the resolve of the Mustangs' defence during 90 minutes of regulation and then through two 10-minute overtime periods and yet the score remained tied at one with just about a minute remaining. A shootout appeared imminent until a harmless-looking Brampton push up the right wing suddenly resulted in the ball getting through the short side and into the back of the Mustang goal, leaving many of the 150-or-so fans in disbelief. And the goal scorer was Georgetown resident Shauna Patterson. "It was unfortunate, but we did well though against the team that won it all last year," said Mustangs' coach Tony Glen. "We were kind of thinking it was going to go to penalties there. That one hurts. The game didn't deserve to end on a goal like that." It's a rarity for a Georgetown team to make it to the late stages of the Ontario Cup tournament, and just to get to the final eight, the Mustangs had to win a qualifying tournament a day's drive away in Thunder Bay last month. The Blaze and Georgetown tied 2-2 in a regular-season match last week and the visitors were no doubt mindful of their loss to the eventual-champion Mustangs in the recent Robbie International tournament in Scarborough. Brams United was the sharper side from the outset of Saturday's quarter-final and opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the first half on a breakaway. Georgetown rebounded, however, with a spectacular 25-yard free kick goal by stopper Daniella Campana. Richelle Greenwood and Emily Dulhanty shared the Mustang goalkeeping duties as is custom and they were able to frustrate Brampton shooters with the help of stingy defenders Maggie Darling, Campana, Rebecca Dickinson, Leslie Hale, Sheena

Georgetown Mustangs' sweeper Maggie Darling (right) clears away a scoring attempt by Brampton's Shauna Patterson during the Ontario Cup under-13 girls' quarter-final matchup on Saturday at Cedarvale Park. Patterson, a Georgetown native, shocked the host Mustangs by scoring late in extra time to give Brams United a 2-1 victory and a berth in the provincial semifinals. Photo by Eamonn Maher Glen and Amanda Larade. in the Ontario Cup semifinals, while the Striker Jaden Todd nearly won it for Mustangs still have several regular-season the home side in extra time but her left- games remaining. footed shot was tipped away by the Brampton goalie for a corner kick. (Eamonn Maher can be reached at The Blaze will now face Richmond Hill emaher@independentfreepress.com)