Success continues for Falcons' soccer

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: FANSHAWE ATHLETICS
Mike Marcoccia had a strong game on Oct. 3, scoring two goals to make the final score 4-1 against the Redeemer Royals.

Both the men’s and women’s Fanshawe Falcons soccer teams continue their winning ways into October, with both teams yet to face a loss in the 2015 season. The women’s Falcons are 6-0-0 and the men are 5-0-1 after wins against the Redeemer Royals on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Both teams remain in first place in the OCAA West Division, with the women’s team ranked seventh nationally in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rankings and the men’s team ranked eighth in the country.

The matches on Oct. 3 against the Royals took place at home in London, beginning with the women’s match-up at noon. The Falcons struck early with a free kick goal from Kayli McGuffin in the eighth minute. In the 10th minute, Niki McDonald scored for Fanshawe again, making the score 2-0 in favour of Fanshawe.

Star offensive player Jade Kovacevic followed up with a goal of her own, with teammates Katie Rowe and Marisa Oliveira adding points of their own to the scoreboard. Kovacevic didn’t let up after her first goal, scoring two more goals before the end of the first half and giving the Falcons a 7-0 advantage at half time. The Royals did not get a single shot on net in the first half, with the Falcons outshooting them 19-0.

In the second half, Kovacevic scored yet another goal in the 64th minute, her fourth of the game and her 18th goal of the season. Her performance on Saturday not only brings her closer to breaking an OCAA record, but also allowed her to break a Fanshawe record. Kovacevic has now broken Fanshawe’s record for most women’s soccer goals in a season. In addition, she is only three goals shy of breaking the OCAA record for 20 goals in a season. The Falcons did not score again, finishing with a victory of 8-0 over the Royals. The victory was not entirely an offensive effort, as Julie Rovere notched her fifth shutout of the season.

Following the women’s performance, the men set out to achieve a victory of their own over the Redeemer Royals. The Falcons scored the game’s first goal in the 27th minute on a Mike Marcoccia goal, assisted by Jacob Atkinson to put the Falcons up 1-0. Marcoccia scored a second goal in the 40th minute to finish out the half to open up the lead against the Royals to 2-0.

In the second half, Atkinson scored a goal by volleying the ball into the left corner of the net in the 72nd minute of the game. The Redeemers responded with a goal of their own, scoring in the 87th minute to cut Fanshawe’s lead to 3-1. The Falcons’ Mensud Zulum capped off the game with a chip shot in the game’s closing minutes to finish with a 4-1 win.

The Fanshawe Falcons’ men’s and women’s soccer teams face the competitive Lambton College at home on Saturday, Oct. 17. The women’s game is at 12 p.m. and the men’s game is at 2 p.m.