WSOC | De Gasperis Sets Up Pair in Voyageurs Victory

The second leg of the Riley Gallo Cup and 705 Challenge Cup took place between the Laurentian Voyageurs and Nipissing Lakers in Sudbury on Sunday afternoon, where the Voyageurs came out Victorious with a score of 2-0. 

The first ten minutes of the game were fairly quiet as most of the play centered around the midfield. However, as the game progressed, the Voyageurs began to dominate every aspect of the soccer match. The Voyageurs' stronghold was evidenced by the total number of shots recorded in the first half: six compared to just two of the Lakers. Despite their dominating performance, the Vees were unable find the back of the net until the dying minutes of the half when a short cross from Mia De Gasperis found the cleats of Cassandra Cristiano who netted her first goal of the season, giving Laurentian a one goal lead into halftime. 

The Voyageurs carried the momentum gained from first half into the second as they pressed on for an insurance goal. Their persistence - to the delight of many - would pay off just fifteen minutes into the half when Mia De Gasperis fired an impressive cross straight to Brianne Rodrigue, who headed the ball into the back of the net, giving Laurentian a 2-0 lead. From that point, the Voyageurs simply protected the net an ensured a 2-0 victory and a clean sheet for Caitlin McNamara. All in all, a strong performance from midfielder Mia De Gasperis allowed Laurentian to earn their first win of the season.

Coach Gallo praised his side's performance by saying: "Solid performance from back to front."

The Voyageurs will now look to make it two in a row when they visit the Ottawa Gee-Gees Saturday at 1pm. 

Wali Khan

Sports Writer