MSOC | Voyageurs Down Excalibur for Weekend Split

The Laurentian Voyageurs came out victorious Sunday afternoon as they delighted the home fans with a 2-1 victory over the Trent Excalibur. 

The game started off with a bang when just two minutes in, the Excalibur earned a good scoring opportunity but were unable to finish. The Voyageurs would control the tempo of the game after that initial scare but would be unable to successfully put the ball at the back of the net. To their dismay, the Excalibur would strike first in the 15th minute with an unassisted goal from David Attah-Ogbole.

But, the Excalibur celebrations would not last long as only six minutes later Augustus Oku would score a beauty via a long free throw in from Nick Esperanca. And then, just four minutes later the home crowd would get over the moon when Oku buried his second of the match after the ball bounced back and forth between a few players. Both teams would jostle back and forth for the rest of the half to gain further advantage but neither would succeed in their quest. The half would come to a close with the Voyageurs up  2-1. 

The Excalibur came out swinging in the second half as they searched for an equalizer but the Voyageur defence would stand its ground. The Voyageurs earned few good scoring opportunities throughout the half but they were thwarted by the Excalibur defence. The Excalibur would pursue a relentless onslaught to find an equalizer but each offensive push was foiled by the Voyageurs defence. In the dying minutes of the match, the Excalibur earned a free kick in a dangerous position; right at the top of the box but to their agony, they were unable to convert. The match would then come to an end with the Voyageurs earning their first win of the young season.

"I think we played well as a team. We moved the ball around, we created chances and we finished a couple of them. And defensively especially, we were able to keep out as many goals as possible" said Oku post-game when evaluating his team's performance. When asked about why he had so much success on the field today, he credited his teammates for the accomplishment: "My teammates. They were creating chances and I was able to finish it today. We just moved the ball around. I not only scored but also just held up the play so everyone can get forward and create oppurtunities for others and for myself." 

The Voyageurs will now prepare to battle the Carleton Ravens on Saturaday, September 7 at home. Kick off is scheduled for 1 pm. 

Wali Khan

Sports Writer