Firestorm return home unbeaten

The Sault's Dundee Wealth Management Firestorm returned home Sunday night from the Western Ontario Soccer League's Kick Off Cup held in Strathroy, Ontario.

The Firestorm is the Under 16 girls traveling Civics Soccer team. With a roster of only 14 girls and Melissa MacDonald and Samantha Filek sidelined with injuries the team traveled to Southern Ontario for the Western Division Kickoff Cup which is the season opener for the league. Three games were played in a round robin format on Saturday and the Sault team showed Southern Ontario what the dirty dozen was made of.

Game 1 was played against the Kitchener Spirit Saturday morning and ended up scoreless with very strong defensive play led by Kaitlyn Morin, Heather Bedel, Carly Iannelli and Vanessa Tucci. Jodie Gillespie recorded the shutout for the Sault. Game 2 was played 2 hours later against Windsor Fury and also ended up scoreless. Midfielders Meghan Diangelo, Kristen Seaton, Camille Lemay and Tessa Kasch continued to feed strikers Carissa Holley, Heather King, and Krista Roy with ball after ball but the Sault just could not finish with a goal as Windsor held them off. Jodie Gillespie went down late in the game as a kick to the ankle injured her. Gillespie managed to shake it off and hold the Sault team in for the tie.

Game 3 was against the Guelph Royals and also ended with a 1-1 tie. The first aid kit was getting low as 11 of the dozen took the field smelling like a deep heat rub commercial. Battling blisters on their feet and sore muscles again the Sault held on until late in the first half when Guelph managed to put one by Gillespie who was playing injured. The Sault would not be stopped and Heather King scored the Sault's only goal late in the 2nd half with a penalty kick deep in the Royals territory to even up the game once again. Holley went down shortly after with a trip by the Royals and was helped off the field. The Sault scrambled around the net with chance after chance late in the half but had to settle for the tie.

The Firestorm's next action is in Kitchener and Guelph on the 2nd and 3rd of June for the official first 2 league games of their season.

(Submitted by John Veale)