WATERLOO, Ont. – The Laurier Golden Hawks delivered a commanding performance on Saturday afternoon, securing a 4–0 victory over the Algoma Thunderbirds at Ansley Alumni Field.
From the opening whistle, Laurier set the tone with relentless pressure and crisp ball movement that overwhelmed the visitors.
Laurier wasted no time asserting control, with
Jada Johnson firing two early shots within the first minute.
The Hawks' intensity quickly paid off in the 39th minute when
Stephanie Geady opened the scoring, finishing a setup from
Tamara Lisser and
Ashley Greco.
Moments later, Geady struck again, this time assisted by
Sasha Marikano, doubling Laurier's lead before halftime.
Laurier carried their momentum into the second half and the 57th minute, when
Tamara Lisser added her name to the scoresheet, converting a pass from Greco to make it 3–0.
The Hawks kept pressing, and
Kayla Merkley sealed the win in the 71st minute off another Marikano assist.
With the game in hand, Laurier head coach Barry McLean gave several players valuable minutes, including second-year
Ally McCullough and
Eva Holzman-Sharfe, and first-year
Genevieve Morgan.
After the match, MacLean expressed his satisfaction with the result and team progress.
"I'm happy with the points we got, what we needed out of the game," he said. "The team dynamic is really good, and the culture around the group is positive. Having Sasha back up front gives confidence that we can score goals, and having Nicole at the back gives us a real steel. It'll be tough for teams to score on us."
Players echoed their coach's confidence.
"We came out really strong, kept pushing, and got what we needed, three points," said Holzman-Sharfe.
Looking ahead to Sunday's match, Holzman-Sharfe said the team is ready for the quick turnaround, noting that they "prepared hard this week and know what we need to do, we just have to come out strong again tomorrow."
Goalkeeper
Mya Brodrecht earned the clean sheet behind a disciplined defensive line, while Greco impressed with multiple assists and consistent set-piece delivery.
With the victory, Laurier continues to build momentum heading deeper into the season, showcasing depth, chemistry, and confidence across the lineup.
Up Next:
The Laurier Golden Hawks (4-3-3) take on the Algoma Thunderbirds (0-9) at Ansley Alumni Field on Sunday, October 5 for its annual Senior Day game.
Kick-off is at 1:00pm and admission is free.
For fans until to attend you can also follow @WLUAthletics
