BY SCOTT
HADDOW
The Sudbury Panhellenic Women's team started their 2006 season
strong, and remained powerful during the course of the campaign
all summer.
The squad wants to finish their season just as strong by piling
up more wins in the final four games.
It starts this weekend as the club will play two road games.
On Saturday, they face Aurora at noon and on Sunday, they
square off against Toronto Central at 4 pm.
The team is riding an emotional roller coaster right now.
Two weeks ago, they suffered their first loss of the season,
dropping a 6-0 decision to the North York Wolves. The squad
rebounded promptly the following weekend by hammering Pickering
4-1.
The win finally gave Sudbury sole ownership of the position
of first overall in the Regional Central Division with a record
of 14 wins, three ties and one loss.
Standing at the top of the heap has made the players
ecstatic.
"To move into first place means a lot to the team," said
fullback Lauren Mirabelli. "We're proud of our accomplishments
and have managed to hold strong the entire season."
The first loss had the team reeling slightly, but they got
over it.
"Our first loss was a tough one," said Mirabelli. "You get
used to winning all of the time, and it was a shock. We were
able to pull our team together and win the next game. We
realized we're not invincible. In this league, nothing can be
taken for granted."
Finishing in one of the top two spots in the standings would
be a huge boon for the team.
"There is no playoff system, but there is relegation and
promotion to the next level, which would be the provincial
level," said head coach Joe Persi. "That's the highest level
for women. Our team has definitely avoided relegation, but is
still in the hunt for the two top spots that would permit
advancement."
At the start of the year, moving up in the provincial pyramid
wasn't on the radar screen for the club.
"Earning first spot seemed impossible at the start of the
year for us," said Persi. "It's still unreal for a Sudbury
Panhellenic team looking to break even in the win/loss column.
Winning has been a surprise, so finishing first would be an
even bigger surprise."
The final four games will be no easy chore. The team has
lost half of its main squad due to girls going back to
university to play soccer. There's only eight players left in
town. With a depleted squad, Persi has set about looking for
replacements to finish the season.
"With a large part of our team having left...it would be
great to just stay competitive and be in every game until the
end," said Persi. "The problems will be ensuring we have a full
and healthy roster to play. If we don't...we'll tough it out."
The women know how to keep things rolling smoothly,
especially in tough times.
"Keeping a positive attitude and making sure we have fun on
the field is what's really working for the team," said
Mirabelli. "We know these last few games will be the toughest
with the smaller squad, but we will just keep playing each game
with as much intensity as we can give. As a team, we now need
to work harder to fill gaps that were left by players who
greatly contributed throughout the season."
The team has had help this season, and they appreciate it.
"There are lots of factors that have contributed to our
success," said Persi. "The players give maximum effort - all
they have. They work hard, they're skilled and are decent to
each other in giving support. We have also had support from the
other teams in town, including the Panhellenic Strikers and the
Panhellenic Under-16 team. Guest players from those teams have
helped out and made the difference in many of the tougher
games."
The women plan to keep things simple over the final few games.
"We want to play every game strong," said Mirabelli. "Whether we win, lose or tie, as long as we finish the season playing the same quality of soccer we have all year, the season will be a success. It's already a success, for the girls and for Sudbury's soccer community."
