VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite Academy ran rampant over TSS Rovers with a 7-0 victory at Thunderbird Stadium.
For the second straight weekend, the 'Caps showed exactly why they've won the league title the past two years. The defending provincial and national champions displayed their clinical finishing skills with five goals in the first half.
With Whitecaps FC pressed forward in the 10th minute, Jeneva Hernandez Gray made no mistake. She collected a loose ball inside the box and her low strike went off the post and in past outstretched Rovers ’keeper Mae Hobenshield.
Ten minutes later, Hernandez Gray broke free from the TSS defenders. Her pin-point cross landed at the feet of forward Ashley Roberts – she calmly slotted the ball to double the lead.
Hernandez Gray’s efforts were far from over as she drew a free kick at the top of the area. Midfielder Noelle Sather stepped up and from 22 yards out and hammered home an absolute rocket into the top corner.
The dominant display continued in the 29th minute as Hernandez Gray pounced on a TSS mix-up for her second of the match.
Joy Kimwemwe rounded out the scoring in a dominant first half with a clinical finish from inside the box.
Defensively, the 'Caps used their superior speed and allowed the Rovers only a few touches inside the box as goalkeeper Kylie Sandulak wasn’t bothered.
In the second half, back-up ’keeper Sidney Venier came on to see out the clean sheet.
Meanwhile, Hernandez Gray capped off an impressive afternoon when she pulled off a give-and-go from substitute Kierra Blundell. Hernandez Gray sprinted past two Rovers defenders and slipped the ball in for the hat-trick in the 75th minute.
Blundell added her side’s seventh goal off a free kick that curled in 10 minutes later.
Hernandez Gray acknowledged that “there’s pressure” on the defending champions to perform. She credited the victory to a “good team performance” and a commitment to improve each game.
Head coach Katie Collar agreed. The result was a “testament” to the work that the players have “put in over the past two years.”
“It’s hard to pick a starting 11 right now,” she added.
With this win, the Girls Elite Academy lead League1 BC with two wins in two matches.
Up next, Whitecaps FC will travel to Nanaimo to take on Harbourside FC on Saturday, May 11. The next home match for Whitecaps FC Girls Elite at Thunderbird Stadium will be on Sunday, May 19 against Rivers FC at 3 p.m. PT.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Sydney Berridge
Scoring Summary10’ – VAN – Jeneva Hernandez Gray
19’ – VAN – Ashley Roberts (Jeneva Hernandez Gray)
26’ – VAN – Noelle Sather
29’ – VAN – Jeneva Hernandez Gray
45’ – VAN – Joy Kimwemwe (Ashley Roberts)
75’ – VAN – Jeneva Hernandez Gray (Kierra Blundell)
85’ – VAN – Kierra Blundell
CautionsNone
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite30.Kylie Sandulak (1.Sidney Venier HT); 3.Iba Oching © (13.Samantha Riemer HT), 8.Jamie Perrault, 12.Kiera Martin, 14.Tea Mayson (16.Bridget Mutipula HT); 4.Emily Wong, 7.Noelle Sather (20.Chloe Taylor 78’), 10.Jeneva Hernandez Gray; 2.Joy Kimwemwe (9.Kierra Blundell HT), 15.Ashley Roberts (29.Katie Connell 66’), 17.Emma Yee (11.Kaylee Hunter HT)
Substitutes not used
None
