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Woodbridge Strikers Women 0 - Durham F.C. United Women 3

By lo admin, 06/08/15, 4:00PM EDT

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Woodbridge Strikers Women 0 - Durham F.C. United Women 3

Mon Jun 8 
Written By: Staff, League1
 

After a great celebration of their women's League1 Ontario team - including an impressive presentation of player after player in their university kits that gave some sense of the quality within the team - Woodbridge opened their home grounds at Vaughan Grove on Sunday with a date with league leaders Durham United F.C.

Unfortunately, Durham were in the mood to spoil the party, and ran out worthy 3-0 winners after a brace from Alexandria Lamontagne (34', 56') and a single from Katelyn Arathoon (76'). 

After three matches, Durham already look frighteningly like the finished product. Yet to concede a goal, with ten already registered in the goals for column, the black and amber of DUFC move the ball with a poise and focus that is matched only by their physical defence. The chemistry and experience of the players is evident, which is an element that coaches Tony LaFerrarra and Paul Deabreu sought to implement when selecting a squad that have primarily graduated from Durham region clubs, in particular Pickering Soccer Club. 

In credit to the Strikers, this was a close contest throughout the first half, until a 36th minute call led to an indirect kick within ten yards of the Woodbridge net. A quick layoff into her path, and Lamontagne smashed her first of the day past a wall of onrushing blue shirts. Woodbridge will have felt hard done by going into the break. 

However, in the second half, Durham clearly moved into another gear. 

United's Diarra Simmons, Lamontagne, Tamara Brown, and Katelyn Arathoon began to string together combinations around the Woodbridge left flank, with Simmons in particular requiring a double-mark to control both her speed and strength going forward. Alex Lamontagne benefitted from the extra space afforded to her, gathering up a through ball at pace, neatly side-stepping her marker, and nutmegging Woodbridge netminder Sarah Forde to get her second of the afternoon.

DUFC: KATELYN ARATHOON

Durham forward Leanne Tobin was the next forward player to find some joy from the fluency of Arathoon, Simmons and Brown, getting on the end of accurate forward passes from Lamontagne and Arathoon twice in the latter quarter of an hour.

Arathoon, in particular, gave a sense of her attacking vision in the 76th minute when she picked out Tobin with a 30 yard right-footed diagonal drive that the forward accurately directed on net, but Forde's positioning was exemplary and she quickly nullified the threat.

Arathoon took matters into her own hands next, intercepting a loose pass into the Woodbridge midfield and punishing the Strikers with an exquisitite left footed chip from 20 yards that left Forde with no chance.  

DUFC: DIARRA SIMMONS

Woodbridge nearly took back one in the 84th minute after forward Chanel Hudson-Marks nearly capitalized on a poor square pass between Durham centre-backs, as she stole the ball, turned two defenders, and agonizingly rang a left footed curler off the outside of the far post. 

Woodbridge returns to league action on Saturday June 13 vs. North Mississauga Panthers at the Hershey Centre in an 8 p.m. kickoff.

Durham plays on June 13 as well, this time taking on ANB Futbol - currently in second place - at Oshawa Civic Centre, 5 p.m. kickoff.