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Canada U17's Raimondo Snags Hat-Trick En Route To 6-2 Aurora Win

By League1 Ontario staff, 09/01/16, 7:00PM EDT

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A whopping seven goal second half handed home side Aurora United FC a 6-2 victory over visitors Darby FC in midweek League1 women's division action.

"The first half was a little bit frustrating for us. It was a young team we faced, well-coached and organized, so we had to change a little bit of the tactical in the second half," said Aurora head coach, Ramin Mohammadi.  

"I think the half-time talk worked, they implemented the changes and executed the gameplan. In the end we got the result we want." 


Lauren Raimondo (Photo: Martin Bazyl)

Aurora and Canada U17 player Lauren Raimundo (55', 70', 86') was particularily influential, ringing up a hat trick, while Canada U20's Sarah Stratagakis (64') added a single, along with teammates' Samantha Cawkell (72') and Nicole Kozlova (90'). 

"As usual, the [Canada program] players worked very hard, and they helped the others around them to play too," said Mohammadi. 

"There is a good chemistry between the players and especially at the highest women's level in Canada and with some new players in the system, I think they've helped build a great team." 

"Obviously with the overall quality of players in Aurora, they have internationals Lauren Raimondo and Sarah Stratagakis of course, it is very tough to come back after going down a couple goals," said Darby FC head coach, Mirco Schroff. 

"Then the morale and body language goes down. Nevertheless I thought in the first half we played a decent game, and this once again the part that we need to focus on more than the second half."  


Selah Hopkins (Photo: Martin Bazyl)

In spite of the difficult second half, Darby's Selah Hopkins (84') grabbed the consolation for Darby.

"That has been our whole problem in our first season in this league - we play a decent game going into half-time, and enter the break zero zero, but in the case of the today we come out the game having lost one goals to six," said Schroff. 

"It is certainly not what we expected at half-time, but it shows that the smallest of mistakes and the drop of performance in the second half, and probably that additional level of sharpness, will be punished in this league." 

A hat-trick hero on the day, Lauren Raimondo was personally thrilled with her team's performance most of all. 

"I think today's game was a real team effort," she said. "We went in at half-time and we knew that we were going to put in a few goals in the second half, but we just needed to work together as we were getting the chances but it was about the finish."

"I'm very proud, it was such an amazing game today. I'm happy with the goals I got, but I couldn't have done it without my teammates around me. There were some beautiful assists and all around it was just a wonderful game."