Saputo Cup victory for U16F Lakeshore squad

By Mark Lidbetter, September 5th, 2012

A slow start built to a winning crescendo for the U16F Lakeshore AAA team as they defeated their rivals from Fabrose 3-0 for the Saputo Cup of the Ligue Soccer Elite du Quebec (LSEQ) and a berth in the Canadian championships set for Charlottetown PEI Oct. 3 to 8.
“Fabrose has been our biggest rivals,” Lakeshore coach Alexandra Eskenazi said. “They play with a lot of physicality and we had are a smaller team but we played up to that physicality.”
Lakeshore keeper Kelly Chiavaro frustrated the Fabrose attack to keep the score at nil-nil, holding the fort to keep her team in the hunt for the cup.
Following a scoreless opening half where Fabrose had the better of the chances to break the ice, Lakeshore took control of the play with more ventures into the attacking third.
The Fabrose backline led by Chloe Villeneuve and Camille Racine and solid keeping by Jessica Brais denied Lakeshore a lead.
What stood to be the winning goal for Lakeshore came in the 62nd minute when Lakeshore swarmed the Fabrose box. The defense fell into disarray and the keeper was out of position following an initial save. Alexa Arsenault, who had missed on a pair of opportunities in the first 45, calmly controlled the ball and fired a left-footed shot into the mesh for her first of two goals in the win.
“I just wanted to put the ball at the goal,” Arsenault said. “I had missed out a couple of times earlier and didn't want it to happen again.”
Lakeshore built on that goal as they controlled the ball to control the clock, one-touch passing moving forward and backward to keep Fabrose from finding the equalizer.
Arsenault added an insurance marker after accepting a perfect pass from the left sent by Gabby Cuerno 83 minutes in for a 2-0 lead.
In the 90th minute, Vanessa Gregoire stroked a beautiful ball from 18 metres that found the top left corner to make it a 3-0 Lakeshore victory.
“This team is a family,” Arsenault said. “We have gotten to know each other so well. This was a huge win against our biggest rivals, it is so satisfying and we get to go the Nationals.”