Gemini soccer girls face down brutal weather, tough opponent en route to TVRA title

The Tillsonburg Gemini girls’ soccer team battled a tough Huron Park opponent and brutal weather en route to a TVRA South East Tier II championship. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

The Tillsonburg Gemini girls’ soccer team faced down both a determined Woodstock Huron Park Huskies opponent and brutal weather conditions en route to a 5-2 Thames Valley Regional Athletics South East Tier II soccer championship victory Wednesday, May 21 at Huron Park.

Nicknamed ‘the beautiful game’ by soccer legend Pele, this outing’s undeniable attraction came through gritty perseverance from both sides through every minute of the contest, despite unseasonably-low temperatures chilled further by a stiff breeze.

“And the rain,” interjected Gemini coach Alison Wallace, of constant precipitation ranging from irritating drizzle to dense downpour.

“It was a cold rain,” added Tillsonburg’s Lainey West. “Ice rain.”

Gemini goalie Elysse Davis faced unflinchingly into wind and rain during the second half, along with the teeth of a determined Huskies attack striving to overcome a 2-0 deficit.

“She did great,” credited Tillsonburg’s Kherington Spanjers, who had opened scoring for the Gemini. “They just really wanted it and they were very aggressive.”

Davis met Huron Park’s unrelenting assault with multiple saves, of particular note an 18-yard ‘cracker’ destined for the top, left corner and a point-blank mano-a-mano confrontation at the lip of her crease. Tillsonburg’s keeper was kept busy for the entire game, although she admitted with a smile, not to the point of staying warm.

“Not busy enough for that.”

The Gemini appeared to relieve the pressure with their third goal, a quick strike counterattack moved down the right wing and back into the centre, from where Spanjers notched her second marker of the contest.

To their credit, the Huskies kept on coming however, captain Payton Cowan setting up Gulalay Khan with a high, wind-altered cross from the right wing, landing near the far post for a tap-in. Cowan added the Huskies’ second goal, turning what had been a comfortable three-goal lead into a tense stretch run.

The Gemini showed resilience of the own, countering with another quick strike. Working the ball up the left side of the pitch, Vivian Suderman led Sophia Monsere with a pass up the centre, which the Tillsonburg forward advanced and buried to restore a two-goal advantage.

“I just ran into the open space and she did like, a beautiful pass,” credited Monsere.

A game with its share of drama added a little more before the final trio of whistles, Davis stopping a Huron Park penalty and the Gemini notched their fifth goal to round a hard-fought 5-2 victory. Spanjers and Monsere each finished with two markers, West adding a single.

Tillsonburg had completed its regular season with a 2-1-1 won/lost/tied record, advancing to the Tier II final with a comfortable 6-2 semi-final success over Woodstock College Avenue.

“They just came, wanted to win today and put every effort forward,” Wallace summed up in conclusion.