Queens control road game en route to 3-0 victory

Brent Forster - RDC

Olds – On a cool and misty afternoon on the road, the Red Deer College Queens Soccer team scored in each half and applied more pressure as the game progressed for their second win in as many games to kick off the 2018 - 19 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Women's Soccer season. The offence was once again clicking with one goal in the opening half and a pair in the latter half for a 3-0 shutout victory. 

The Queens started the game with energy and pressured the Broncos often. In the 21st minute, the RDC squad was rewarded. Bachelor of Science student, Haley Nassichuk-Dean, intercepted a clearing attempt from the Broncos goalkeeper Auslin Rae McDaniel-Perrin, and wasted no time striking the ball to the open right side of the net. 

Haley Nassichuk-Dean

Despite the 1-0 lead in the opening half, Queens Soccer Head Coach Esad Elkaz wanted to see more shots on McDaniel-Perrin. "The Queens played a good first half but we wanted to test their goalkeeper more," says Elkaz. "At the half, we talked about it and the ladies responded very well with more pressure and shots."

Esad Elkaz

Off a corner kick, Mikayla Fujimoto, a first-year Bachelor of Education Elementary student, extended the Queens' lead by a pair of goals in the 79th minute. The Queens continued to play most of the half in the Broncos' zone and as time was winding down, Red Deer's Emily Richard salted the game away 3-0 in the 87th minute from a free kick. 

The Broncos tried to get on the board late but goalkeeper Erin Gill and the Red Deer College Queens defence were unbeatable. In the final minutes, Gill made an incredible outstretched save and deflected the ball out of harm's way to maintain her shutout and three goal victory.

Elkaz appreciated the effort from the RDC student-athletes. "It was a good game. The ladies showed great work ethic and controlled the speed of the game," says Elkaz. "Overall, we had dominant ball possession and took the game over."

Elkaz and the Queens are approaching the soccer season with a clear focus on the present before looking too far ahead at the next task. "After this game, we can now start to look ahead to SAIT," says Elkaz. "We will see how tomorrow's game goes and will make any adjustments as necessary. We are taking the season one game at a time."  

Kayla Nesseth, a Pre-Health Sciences student from Red Deer, was chosen as the player-of-the-game for the Queens with a strong performance. 

Sunday at 12:00 p.m., the Queens (2-0-0) will face the SAIT Trojans (3-0-0) in Calgary. The Trojans sit in first place in the ACAC Women's Soccer South Division with 9 points. While the Queens are in second spot with 6 points, the RDC team has also played one fewer game.