BU women fall to Saint-Lambert

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This article was published 09/11/2023 (877 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon University Bobcats had their not-in-Kansas-anymore moment on Wednesday morning.

They won 12 of 14 Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference women’s soccer games to reach the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national championship. But in the quarterfinals in Summerside, P.E.I., they watched Canada’s top team, Champlain Saint-Lambert of Quebec, thump them 6-0.

“It’s good experience for the girls, good exposure to what’s out there,” BU head coach Orlin Chalmers said via phone interview. “You’re playing against a big province of strong football culture, which hasn’t developed in the area we’re in. It’s going to take time.”

Brandon hung on for the first 17 minutes but let Victoria Dupont score on a soft rolling shot from outside the penalty area.

Dupont may have been credited with a second goal four minutes later when BU goalkeeper Josie Black bobbled a free kick from the halfway line that bounced in front of her. As the ball bounced around the goal-line, Bobcat Emilie Dornez was the last one to touch it before it crossed.

Not two minutes later, Dupont cut left and fired a perfect strike Black had no chance to save.

The next one was a product of Black’s error but also the stiff breeze BU had to play into for the first 45 minutes.

Her goal kick got held up and the Cavaliers intercepted it, making one pass to Brianna Pinazza for an easy finish.

The Cavaliers added two more before halftime.

The Bobcats kept the score the same from there but weren’t able to generate anything resembling pressure on the opposing defensive unit.

Chalmers won’t use the wind as an excuse for the disappointing start to Brandon’s week.

“At the end of the day, you see the girls were a little nervous playing but they went out there, put their boots on and put one foot in front of the other,” Chalmers said.

“They fought through it and bought in for the second half and put a better showing out.”

The Bobcats can still finish as high as third place. They play the University of King’s College (Halifax) in the bronze quarterfinals today at 8 a.m. CT after the Blue Devils lost 2-0 to the Seneca College (Toronto) Sting.

The winner plays on Friday at 10:30 a.m. against the loser of the semifinal on the other side of the draw. The loser gets a seventh-place match on Friday at 8 a.m.

“Our expectations have to be real, four months into the program against an established team that’s won it already,” Chalmers said.

“That’s our goal, to basically represent Manitoba, Brandon and come out with a better showing next game, put Manitoba on the map … come back to nationals next year and see what happens.”

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