The Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club travelled to the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus to face the Broadview Hawks. The struggling Hawks were unable to match the speed, skill and physicality of the Swans, who won 97-23.
The rain held off for the first quarter, and the Swans took advantage of the good conditions to get out to an early 5 goal lead. But the good weather wouldn’t last, as the second quarter saw torrential rain that slowed the game down and made it difficult for the Swans to play their highly skilled style of game.
Veterans Alex Huard, Jono Burnett and Myles Legudi showed how to play the game in wet weather, going hard for the ball on the ground and bombing kicks forward out of the middle. As massive puddles flooded the ground the Swans outplayed and outworked the Hawks at every contest.
The Hawks, shorthanded due to a lack of players and a few in game injuries, only managed to kick 3 goals the whole game. The Swans also stood up to a bit of scrappiness away from the play, as tempers started flaring once the game was out of reach.
“We’re always happy to come back from Toronto with a victory,” said Assistant Coach and player Matt Powell. “We have a history going way back with the Hawks, and winning both games against them this year is a great moment for the club.”
Across the Toronto, also playing under the grey skies the Ottawa Swans women’s team joined forces with the Montreal Angels this weekend to take on a southern Ontario all-star team with players from Toronto and Hamilton. The Wings (Angel/Swans) played the Shield in the final of a two-game series in an 18-a-side match. The Wings had lost the previous match in July and were looking to even the count. The girls from the East came out strong and outscored Ontario in the first two quarters, yet ended up one point down at halftime due to nine behinds from the host team. The Wings made Ontario work hard for their points, but could not prevent a barrage of goals as the rain started to fall in the third quarter.
Nathalie Presseau led the Wings on the backline, while Valerie Moreau and Belinda Wozniak linked up well in the middle. Valerie also added on the scoreboard, and Meaghan Derynck scored two goals in the losing effort. At the final whistle, Ontario had pulled ahead, capturing a hard-fought victory to take the series 2-0. Ontario Shield 10.11.71 vs. Eastern Wings 6.4.40
The Swans men now come back home to the Manotick Polo Club for their last home game of the regular season. They’ll face the Toronto Rebels in a match that will decide who finishes first and gets the bye to the second round of the playoffs. The women will also be at home against the Montreal Angels.
Ladies kick off Saturday at 12:00pm, men kick off at 2:00pm. BBQ and drinks will be sold and all are welcome to cheer on the clubs.
Last Modified on 18/08/2016 00:13