Ottawa Swans prepare for this season’s first double matchday, as the men’s and women’s teams prepare for their respective games.
The men’s team will be looking to bounce back with a win after last week’s loss to Toronto Rebels. The Swans will be playing their second game of the season at Central Blues on June 3rd.
When the coach of the men’s team, Jordan Harcombe, was asked how they felt about the match against the Rebels, he said, “We felt we were very close in skill and ability with the Rebels but unfortunately we just didn’t have enough legs to finish the job. No substitutes on a hot day drains your legs quickly, and it showed. We picked up a fair few injuries as well, so lots of guys are resting up this week to be ready for the trip to Toronto. All in all the guys seem pretty determined to get better as we move forward this year and they showed a lot of guts in their performance and I’m very proud of that”.
When Jordan was asked about what they can improve on moving forward, he said, “We struggled to push the ball to the wings out of defense, our clearance kicks kept drifting inside where our opponent was waiting. We haven’t really changed, strategically, what we’re doing but we are adapting to our personnel for the coming weekend. Mostly we’re just reinforcing our team rules and strategies and looking to continue building toward this season”.
The coach is proud of the team’s morale and togetherness, saying, “In round one, we asked a lot of our players, especially our new and younger players, and they really rose to the occasion. [...] To see our players rally around one another and take pride in playing through adversity and right to the final siren is really the culture we’re trying to promote at our club, in both the men’s and women’s teams.”
The Ottawa Swans women’s team play their first game of the season against High Park Demons. Last season the women’s team placed fourth in the league and are looking to improve this year.
Yaser Abou Elenein, Club President and coach of the women’s team, says he is looking forward to the season. Although their away record is not something to gloat about, Yaser is very optimistic for their game against the High Park Demons. “Playing on the road is always challenging. Our road record lately hasn't been the best and we are working on improving that over this season and beyond,” he says.
With regards to improving the team’s performances this season, Coach Yaser is looking to rely on his more experienced players to decide games. He says, “Great teams aren’t just created, there is a lot of work and time and games experience that creates the foundation of the best teams”.
Both teams will be traveling away to play their games on June 3rd.
- Ali Boty
Last Modified on 03/06/2023 07:05