That was quite the homecoming.
Both Guelph United's men and women's teams managed to win their Centennial Bowl openers Tuesday evening in a couple of fun, exciting games.
First, it was the ladies, who defeated Unionville Milliken 2-1. It was a close game throughout. Sasha Marikano opened the scoring for Guelph early in the first half. After Unionville’s equalizer, it was a back-and-forth match until the 89th minute, when Sydney Vanderhoef kept all three points in Guelph from the penalty spot.
The win sees the Union go up to six points in the standings, with a 2-3 win-loss record.
Then, the men kept their undefeated streak going, with a dramatic 4-3 win over North Toronto Nitros. The first half was a masterclass in set pieces from Guelph, who scored three of the four goals off corners. Milan Beader kept his form going by scoring a brace, while Harvey Marchant and Cole Fernandez both added one goal, to make it 4-1 at the half.
After the break, the Nitros attacked more, and managed to score twice and make it a 4-3 game going into the final minutes, which saw both teams miss opportunities in a dramatic finale.
With the win, Guelph United is now occupying a playoff spot, sixth in the league with 11 points.
Both teams will look to keep the momentum going in another doubleheader, on Sunday at the Centennial Bowl, against BVB IA Waterloo. The women’s match kicks off at 2.30 PM, while the men start at 5.30 PM. For tickets, please visit here.
