Exhibition win for Voyageurs over Gee Gees

Second half goals from Mackenzy Kropa and Ayden Meilleur, along with a key penalty kick save from rookie Connor Vande Weghe, lifted the Laurentian Voyageurs men's soccer team to a 2-0 exhibition win over the Ottawa Gee Gees on Friday night in Sudbury.

Taking to the pitch for their one and only prep game before road encounters with the Trent Excalibur and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks next weekend, the LU side would use all but their injured few in the course of the 90-minute encounter.

While coach Carlo Castrechino had planned to provide some playing time to Vande Weghe either way, the local product was inserted earlier than expected, when third-year Bracebridge native Duncan Jobson was felled by an injury roughly five minutes before half.

If the St. Benedict graduate was the least bit nervous, he certainly didn't show it, making a few big saves, none bigger than a diving stop to his left on a penalty kick with the game still deadlocked at nil-nil.

"I've been practising with Connor the whole summer," said returning midfield all-star Omar Allison after the game. "I don't think that he thinks of himself as a rookie. He's going to shock the league. His hands are like Spider-Man, for sure."

Less than 10 minutes after the penalty shot save, Laurentian would counter; Chris Atkinson sent a through ball between the Gee Gees' defenders, with Kropa sprinting to catch up and making no mistake in opening the scoring.

With time winding down and Ottawa pressing, Meilleur took advantage of a run down the left flank, potting the insurance marker.

"I thought we did really well coming out of the middle," said Allison, who, like most of the starting 11, played only the opening 45 minutes.

"That's what we've been working on. In the second half, the boys who came off the bench really showed, obviously, scoring two goals for us. I'm proud of that."

Coming off a campaign in which the Voyageurs missed the playoffs, Allison is looking to a return to form for the team in his fourth season with the squad.

"Going into the season, we need to tighten up on the back, for sure," he said. "The goalie connection to the centre back, through the midfield and to the striker, is huge. That's definitely one of the things we want to work on."

There is little doubt Castrechino will lean heavily on the veteran presence of Allison, manning the midfield amidst a group of relative newcomers.

"We're very young still," said Allison.

"But this is going to be an amazing group of guys. These guys are coachable and hard-working. It's a big contribution to the team this year."

Following three games in southern Ontario, the Voyageurs will kick off the home portion of their schedule on Sept. 12-13, welcoming the University of Toronto Blues and the Ryerson Rams to town.