Two games do not a season make, but if you’re the Feildians-Green Sleeves senior women’s soccer team, you’re taking a lot of stock in a couple of late-season wins against a favoured opponent.
The Double Blues registered 14 victories in 18 Breen’s Jubilee Trophy provincial women’s senior soccer games this season, and two of those came towards the end of the season against the Holy Cross-Avalon Ford Crusaders.
They were the only two games Holy Cross lost this season. In fact, the two setbacks give the Crusaders just three losses in four years of Jubilee Trophy play.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt those wins give us a certain degree of confidence, knowing that the team that was 16-0 they can be beaten,” said Feildians coach Mike Oliver.
“I suppose it’s reassuring to know when it comes down to one game, it’s been done before, and they know they can do it again.”
The provincial women’s senior soccer circuit has its playoffs this weekend at King George V Park, and make no mistake, Holy Cross is still the favourite despite the late-season bump in the road.
The Crusaders did finish in first place at 16-2, and are seeking their fourth straight all-Newfoundland title.
And the trio of goals surrendered against Feildians were the only three Holy Cross allowed all season.
Feildians placed second in the six-team loop at 14-4-1.
Holy Cross lost both games to their traditional soccer rivals by 2-1 and 1-0 scores, the first coming last week. The second Feildians win was sealed Sunday, the continuation of a game from last month that was postponed because of lightning.
“A bit of adversity within teams sometimes makes you respond a bit better in big games,” said Holy Cross coach Jake Stanford.
“If you don’t face adversity, you don’t know how to respond to it. And that was the first time we faced any kind of adversity this year.”
If nothing else, the Holy Cross players now understand throwing on their cleats and just showing up does not translate to wins.
“Soccer is a funny game,” Stanford said, “in that anybody can win on any given day.
“I’ve seen that too many times over the years.
“Bottom line is Feildians came out and beat us two games. They played well and I think it showed we need to step our game up to win a championship.”
Holy Cross and Feildians meet in the all-important 1-2 Page Playoff game tonight at King George.
Mount Pearl and C.B.S. are the other two playoff entries.
This year’s provincials takes on even more meaning than previous playoffs. Not only does the league champion represent the province in the Canadian Jubilee Trophy championship, the runner-up in Sunday’s provincial final also gets a pass to the nationals.
That’s because metro St. John’s is playing host to the nationals Oct. 9-14, and Newfoundland has been granted two entries into the nationals.
That means the winner of tonight’s 1-2 game not only goes directly to Sunday’s final, but is granted a spot in the nationals.
It also means tonight’s winner has a day off Saturday before Sunday’s. The loser of tonight’s, however, has to play the semifinal Saturday afternoon.
Holy Cross is led by a trio of high-scoring players, including Jessie Noseworthy, who’s added another scoring title to her resume, veteran Malorie Harris and Teri Murphy, last year’s provincial female player of the year.
Stacey Hanlon was outstanding for the Double Blues once again, finishing second to Noseworthy in regular-season scoring.
“As far as I’m concerned,” Oliver said, “she’s the MVP of the league. I don’t know where we would be without Stacey.”
robin short@thetelegram.com
Breen’s Jubilee Trophy Championship Weekend,
all games at KGV
Friday
6 p.m., Holy Cross vs Feildians
8:15 p.m., Mount Pearl vs C.B.S.
Saturday
2 p.m., semifinal (Loser 6 p.m. Friday vs Winner 8:15 Friday p.m.)
Sunday
1:45 p.m., awards presentation
2 p.m., championship game (winner 6 p.m. Friday vs semifinal winner)
———
Breen’s Jubilee Trophy
2019 final standings
Team GP W L E Pts GF GA
Holy Cross 18 16 2 0 48 121 3
Feildians 18 14 3 1 43 78 13
C.B.S. 18 4 13 1 13 23 83
St. John’s U17 8 3 4 1 10 8 22
Mount Pearl 17 2 14 1 7 9 85
Paradise U17 3 0 3 0 0 1 34
Leading scorers
Player, team GP G
Jessie Noseworthy, HC 14 29
Stacey Hanlon, F 15 22
Malorie Harris, HC 13 17
Teri Murphy, HC 10 13
Zoe Rowe, F 6 9
Julie Crocker, HC 10 9
Morgan Fitzgerald, F 11 9
———
Jubilee Trophy Champions (since 2003)
2003 - Guards
2004 - Mount Pearl
2005 - Sundance Sorella
2006 - Paradise Physiotherapy
2007 - Mount Pearl Electronic Centre
2008 - EPR Kirby/The Dock
2009 - EPR Kirby/The Dock
2010 - Holy Cross Kirby Group
2011 - Holy Cross Kirby Group
2012 - Holy Cross Kirby Group
2013 - C.B.S. Holy Cross Kirby Group
2014 - Kirby United
2015 - Kirby United
2016 - Holy Cross
2017 - Holy Cross Avalon Ford
2018 - Holy Cross Avalon Ford
2019 - ???
