Athletics Action

The Lakefield College School 1st Girls’ Field Hockey team travelled to Havergal College this week. The girls had an impressive start with many short corner attempts. Havergal's goalie made several spectacular saves, but her valiant effort wasn't enough to stop our fiercely determined offense from establishing a commanding presence on the field early on. Ella Shanahan-Guay was quick to jump on a rebound from a corner to get the first goal for LCS. Allie Avard marked another point on the board with a beautiful shot from the middle of the circle before the end of the first half. The rain started in the second half, but that didn't slow down our girls, nor did it dampen the spirits of all the parents who came out to support the team! Avard nearly gave Lakefield a 3-0 lead with a blistering shot off the post. She then got her own rebound, and after four attempts from multiple players, Clara Mindjimba was able to hit the ball over the line with a perfectly timed deflection for LCS’ third goal. With most of the play in the offensive zone and a strong defensive push, our rock-solid goalie Sophie Peters handily stopped Havergal's first and only breakaway late in the second half. Dakyum Lee's goal in the final minutes of the game was the cherry on top, resulting in a victory for LCS, 4-0!

 

The 2nd Girls’ Field Hockey team took to the field on a cold and rainy Wednesday afternoon to face Toronto Montessori School. The girls fought hard during the first half; displaying strong offensive and defensive skills. Their hard work paid off with a goal scored by Charlize Avon. The rain and cold continued through the second half of the game, but did not dampen the girls’ spirits. With great teamwork and skill, the girls dominated much of the play throughout the game.  Maggiemae Jones played an excellent game and her strong goaltending skills were showcased as she successfully defended a one-on-one penalty shot. In the end, the score remained 1-0 for Lakefield College School. This is a young team new to the game making impressive skill growth every game.

 

The 1st Boys’ Soccer team travelled to Crestwood Preparatory College (CPC) on Wednesday. The team was up to the challenge, and although the weather was not what we have experienced so far this season, the boys were pumped up and determined to play hard and to play smart. Right from the starting whistle LCS dominated CPC as Andre Vilcini opened the scoring with a bullet shot 45 seconds into the game. Eli Shannon soon echoed with an equally beautiful shot 6 minutes in, and then Robin Anstoetz matched it with a left foot strike. In the first 10 minutes of the game it was clear that LCS was a force to be reckoned with. It was a dominating performance with all players contributing significantly on the pitch. As the group met at half-time, leading 6-0, the focus turned to maintaining possession, improving communication and if an opportunity was created, players were to score by practising with their non-dominant foot or off of a header. Even with this adjustment, LCS continued to dominate in the second half, despite it becoming even colder and rainier. Two additional goals were scored off headers, others from skillful crosses to the back post. In the end CPC could not match the speed, technical skill and sense of teamwork displayed by the LCS side. The final score was 11-2. The coaches are proud of the team’s effort yesterday - they showed their strength not only in skill but also in character. Well done boys!

 

The Jr. Boys’ Soccer team traveled to Crestwood Preparatory College on a bitterly cold day that chilled you to the bone and a constant drizzle that drenched your uniform within seconds. Crestwood dealt the first blow, with a bobbling shot from outside the box - the rain caused the ball to slip through the hands of our unsuspecting keeper - Alan Merik. This early misjudgment didn’t affect his concentration, as he went on to make numerous gravity-defying saves throughout the game. Without these agile leaps, the game would have been out of sight by the end of the first half.

 

It didn’t take long for LCS to get themselves back into the game with a bullet of a shot from Aidan Segura. At 1-1 we started playing soccer the “Barcelona/LCS Way,” with brilliant distribution from the back. However, the aforementioned bad weather meant that we were unable to get the ball out of our own half and make possession count and unfortunately, after a Crestwood long-ball, we found ourselves down for the second time in the match. It was at this point that the LCS boys dug their heels in - a special mention to Aidan Maltman for putting in an aggressive performance in the middle of the field to ensure that Crestwood did not slip further ahead - his performance was duly rewarded with a strike into the top-right corner to level the game at 2-2. 

 

With ten minutes to go, it seemed like the game could go either way. Well done to Cal Lindsay for being an absolute beast in the air and winning all of the headers that came his way, and also a massive shout-out to Eric Zang who put in a fantastic second-half performance in defence. At the other end, we just couldn't seem to find the back of the net! Hitting the bar, post and slotting it wide by a matter of inches on numerous occasions; it just didn’t seem like it was going to be our day. However, the LCS bench and 1st Boys’ Soccer team (many of whom stayed behind to watch) didn’t let the team give up hope. Coach Moffatt can’t emphasize enough the positive impact their cheers of “G-R-O-V-E” and “LET’S GO LCS” had on the boys. The crowd was certainly the team’s 12th man, and we are extremely grateful for their support and energy. In the dying minutes of the game Dylan Becker, with some silky footwork, managed to win our team a free-kick on the edge of the box. Aidan Segura stepped up and, with what can only be described as a Beckham-esque connection, curled the ball into the bottom left-hand corner for a magnificent goal! LCS went wild as the boys snatched a well-deserved victory from the jaws of defeat. Final score 3-2. 

 

The 1st Girls’ Basketball team won their third consecutive game on Wednesday afternoon at home, defeating Toronto Montessori School by a score of 50-36. After a slow start, trailing 12-4 halfway through the first quarter, our girls focused on defence and executed their fast break for some quick transition baskets. It was great to see the girls transition between defensive systems to upset the TMS's offence. It was great work by the team who were thankful for a supportive, somewhat boisterous home crowd.

 

Marcus Aurelius once wrote, that, “the impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” In Cross Country, there is nothing else, only the impediment to action and the decision to confront it. The entire sport (and we only call it a sport to make it easier to fit in) is predicated on the tenet that practice and races are never canceled for any reason. 

 

Ever. 

 

And that sustained, graceful suffering over distance matters as much, and often much more, than speed. Frequently the most interesting battles occur, not with the lead runners, but the athletes fighting it out in the middle of the pack. This is exactly what happened last Wednesday at the Sacred Heart Invitational: The Grade 9 boys led by Pablo Ponce de Leon, JP Guiterrez, Ryosoke Towaga and Kirk Ng kicking on the hill, Averell Gougeon falling, bleeding, getting back up and finishing, proudly brandishing her war wound, and Jenny Romano and Paula Tomassi stepping to the line in the cold rain quietly choosing to grapple with all that stands in the way. 

 

Two more weeks remain in the season.