Tillsonburg FC women getting stronger as LAWSL season progresses

Tillsonburg’s Gabby Ash (left) crosses the ball toward the Curinga goal. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

The Tillsonburg FC women’s soccer team has 24 players on its roster, 11 on the field at a time and multiple generations of support behind it.

“I’m glad I can give them what I had growing up,” said coach Molson Page following a 2-1 London and Area Womens Soccer League (LAWSL) Third Division Cup victory over London Curinga Titans Monday, July 6 at the Tillsonburg Minor Soccer Park.

As the Belgian men’s national team, no doubt with the help of the soccer gods, restored some measure of sanity to the 2026 World Cup, Tillsonburg was also taking care of business at home to the visiting Titans.

Olivia Moore scored what would stand as the second-half game-winner on a through ball down the left wing from Alex Couto, breaking into the clear with a burst of speed. Moore fired a high, hard shot that went over the Curinga goalie, under the bar and into the back of the net for her second goal of the season.

“I intended on crossing it,” admitted Moore, “but I got a good angle on it and it went in.”

“A goal’s a goal,” interjected FC midfielder and team captain Kelsey Sanderson.

Tillsonburg’s Kherington Spanjers had opened scoring in the first half, her ninth LAWSL marker of the season.

“Through ball,” she recalled, “deked around the goalie.”

“Bottom corner,” added Sanderson. “Beautiful goal.”

Tillsonburg keeper Elysse Davis, having concluded her high school career with a much-wanted goal, was happily back in her natural environment to help lock up the victory. Curinga did pull within one on a great shot, but Davis kept it clean from there, surviving a couple of heavy collisions, one on a corner, and in addition, sliding to clear a lead pass from an onrushing attacker.

“I just got the ball,” she said. “That never happens - I’m normally run over.

“There was a few tough ones in the box,” she added. “But I think we played really good as a team. Tied 3-3 last time, and we came back stronger.”

Tillsonburg sat fifth in the 10-team LAWSL Division 3 loop as of Friday, July 10, three wins, two ties and two losses good for 11 points. The team is trending in the right direction after a tough start says Davis.

“I’m very excited to see what the rest of the season brings.”

Page is happy to work with ‘an excellent group’, some of whom he has coached since they were ten years old.

“I still think of them as little kids running around on the field,” he admitted.

His own experience, as a person who loves the game and is willing to coach, respects the efforts others, including George Ambrus, put in on his behalf, or Page credits, as Scott Gooding did for a lot of his current players. This year’s expanded roster numbers represent ‘a good problem’ to have, needing to rotate players in and out of the game-day lineup is much better than struggling to field a team. Beyond an influx of Glendale Gemini graduates, Page looks to strong numbers in Tillsonburg Minor Soccer Club U15 program.

“We want to be sure they have a women’s program to go into.”

Sanderson experienced that progression, looking up to leaders before her including Kayla Smith, Mariah Gooding and Jen Pathy, a role she now strives to fill as a 27-year-old Tillsonburg FC veteran.

“I do feel old on this team, I do,” she laughed.

More seriously, she also expressed her appreciation for Page, coach Gooding and Alechia Matos, all of whom played a role in keeping an in-town competitive women’s option available.

“The losses are tough, the wins are fun, but overall, it’s just a good time,” Sanderson concluded.