It was a much needed win, but also a much deserved one for the Nipissing Lakers women's soccer team.
The Lakers have played well all season, but hadn't been rewarded for their efforts as much as they would have liked until Sunday versus the Trent Excalibur.
The Lakers built up a 3-0 lead and held on to a 3-1 victory at home Sunday afternoon at Omischl Sports Complex in North Bay.
The Lakers got off to a quick start, moving the ball well and stretching the Trent defence, but weren't rewarded early in the game, but it didn't take long for them to find the back of the net.
Less than 10 minutes in
Vanessa Rota capitalized on a great cross by
Shannon Russell and fired home her second of the season.
Rota had a strong game all around.
Nipissing extended their lead at the 33 minute mark when
Alicia Hewitt also scored her second of the year, a tap in after
Selena Innamorati sent the ball towards goal.
Hewitt's goal would prove to be the game-winner.
Up 2-0 at halftime, the Lakers extended their lead and sealed the victory with a goal less than 10 minutes into the second half as
Catherine Novorolsky scored her first career OUA goal.
Andrea Young, who was flying during her time on the field, sent a ball across that rattled around the crease and it was Novorolsky that buried it for the third Lakers tally.
Trent would get one back late, but it was too little and too late as Nipissing grabbed their third victory of the season and closed the gap on Laurentian.
The Lakers finished with a weekend split and will now focus their attention to Ottawa and Carleton, who they'll face next weeked in our Nation's Capital.
Ottawa currently sits first and undefeated at 7-0-0, while Carleton is third in the OUA East Division with a 4-2-1 record.
Both games are key for the Lakers, but will require a total team effort and one of their strongest of the season if they are to claim points off two of the better OUA squads.
Nipissing will face Ottawa at 1pm on Saturday, before finishing the weekend battling Carleton at noon on Sunday.
