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| Photo courtesy of Sebastien Di Maulo Photography |
Saturday brought
glorious sunshine and a slight breeze in Ottawa as the Angels, clad in the iconic
orange of the NGD Giants, went head to head with the reigning OAFL women’s premiers.
The Swans adapted to the tricky breeze best in the first term moving the ball
well and scoring two goals through the class and poise of stars Holly Constanza
and Kelly Kennedy. The Angels responded with a major of their own from engine
room dynamo Val Moreau and at the first change the Swans clung to an 8 point
lead. With the breeze at their backs in the second term the Angels lifted, coach
Dan Robinson’s pleas for greater attack on the ball were met and Montreal began
to control the play. Margo Legault was a standout at stoppages as she dominated
the middle of the ground and gave the visiting Angels all the momentum. The
Swans fantastic defensive pressure and the Angels wayward kicking in front of
goal would see them only net 4 behinds, the Swans managing 2 behinds of their
own and the margin reduced to a single goal at the main break.
The third term turned
into an arm wrestle that mirrored the evenly matched squads’ talent and
determination. The Angels got brilliant service from star of the future Gab
Benedetti and veteran Mimi Eboka, Francesca Benedetti taking her game to the
next level as one of the Angels best. The Swans weren’t to be outdone, Kelly Cambridge
a rock down back while Sarah Ennor’s silky smooth talents allowed her to sneak
through the quarter’s only goal and give the Swans a handy 12 point break
heading in to the final term. After an epic three quarters of football the
Swans would prove why they beat all comers in the OAFL in 2014. Using their
experience on the full size field Ottawa overrun the tiring Montreal outfit,
Vivian Nguyen and Holly Constanza orchestrating a late surge that saw the Swans
kick three goals to none and win a tough first up battle by 31 points.
Ottawa 2.2 2.4 3.5 6.7 (43) defeated
Montreal 1.0 1.4 1.5 1.6 (12)
Goals: Ottawa: Kelly Kennedy 3, Holly Constanza, Vivian Nguyen, Sarah Ennor 1.
Montreal: Val Moreau.
