SARNIA – The drought is over.

On Saturday afternoon, the Lambton Women’s Soccer Team opened the 2021 season with a 4-2 win over the visiting Conestoga Condors in the return to OCAA competition for both teams in well over a year. Saturday marked Lambton’s first contest since October 15^th, 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 season.

Lambton’s win over the Condors also brought an end to the lengthy winless streak for the Lions. Before Saturday, the Lions last picked up a win back on October 14^th, 2017 when they recorded a 2-0 shutout win over the Redeemer Royals.

With just three returning players from the 2019 roster back this season, Head Coach Kevin Simmonds had eight first-year student-athletes in the starting lineup against Conestoga. After just two weeks of training and preparation for Saturday’s season opener, one would understandably expect some nerves or jitters from the Lions.

Instead, they came ready to play and weren’t intimidated by the jump to the collegiate level.

Conestoga opened the scoring late in the first half on a free kick from the top of the box that took an unusual bounce and found its way past keeper Toria McRae (Sarnia, Ont.). Going against the wind in the first half led to some challenges for the Lambton offense, but they held their opponents to the lone goal in the process.

McRae made 14 saves in the first half alone and finished with 18 saves for the afternoon.

In the second half, the Lambton offense found its rhythm and they started to fire on all cylinders. Erin Murray (Bright’s Grove, Ont.) got the Lions on the board early in the second half with her first career OCAA goal. Murray’s goal was the first of three straight tallies for the Lions, as Shawna Oag (London, Ont.) found the back of the net in the 65^th minute before Murray followed that with her second goal of the day just two minutes later.

Conestoga got to within one late in the second half, but Oag answered right back when she beat a Conestoga defender and got around the keeper for a wide-open net to push Lambton’s lead back to two goals. The Condors tried to cut into the lead, but the Lambton defense stood its ground to secure the 4-2 victory.

The midfield contingent that features the likes of Sarah Sanders (Wyoming, Ont.), Desiree Moniz (Strathroy, Ont.), Jenelle Labadie (Sarnia, Ont.) and others kept the Conestoga offense on their toes for most of the contest, which led to several scoring chances for the Lions going the other way.

With game one under their belts, the Lions now shift their focus to the St. Clair Saints, who come to town on Tuesday, September 21^st for the first of two meetings in two weeks. Kickoff on Tuesday night is set for 5:00 p.m. at the Lambton College Soccer Field.