This Sunday, the Ontario Soccer Centre Stadium in Woodbridge will play host to the League1 Ontario Men's and Women's Finals. The women's final is a match-up of bitter rivals that began in 2017 when a rift split the women's North Mississauga Panthers - they were battling for first place and scoring at will, and then it all came crumbling down. In 2018, some players joined the newly formed Oakville Blue Devils FC, and others went to the Woodbridge Strikers. Since then, a bitter rivalry between the Devils and the Strikers has played out on the pitch.
These squads have been rounding into form and are heading into this match at the peak of their powers. The Blue Devils will have the benefit of Elisa Lapadula being back in goal on Sunday. Elisa was awarded the OUA Athlete of the Week last week for her performance with Ryerson University. Playing with only nine players, Ryerson was knocked out of the playoffs on Wednesday night, losing 2-0 against the University of Ottawa GeeGees. Lapadula stopped two penalties in a shoot-out in 2019 against the Woodbridge Strikers to put the Blue Devils FC into the League1 Ontario Finals against FC London.
If she doesn't manage her back-line correctly, she'll be one-on-one with former Canadian Women's Team striker Cristabel Oduro, who has just returned from playing professionally in Europe in time to join Woodbridge for the playoffs. Oduro recently scored a hat-trick against a dumbfounded Blue Devils side in the final match of the regular season.
"It just seemed like we were caught off guard, a little flat-footed. It didn't seem like we were ourselves." Blue Devils Head Coach Natalie Bukovec noted after the loss.
Team Captain and leading scorer Laura Twidle will once again be called upon to make things happen in the offensive end. Much like in the 2019 playoffs, she has willed her team through each match. Twidle continuously comes through with huge goals at big moments. This year, the 30-year-old attacker has found a bit of magic, teaming up with former collegiate teammate Amanda Schmalz who is second in team scoring.
A major battle will occur in the middle of the pitch as Lidia Bradeau will be hounded relentlessly by her opposition. Bradeau provides a dynamic midfield presence, and her experience shows through in her patience on the ball, understandably after a solid career at Queen's University. The 24-year-old will have to keep her head as she will be hounded by scrappy April Syme all game long.
"Personally, the only pressure I think we're feeling is on ourselves because we know how well we can play when we show up and perform. I think it's honestly a good position to be an underdog coming into a final. You get to just come out, have fun and play." - Lidia Bradeau, Blue Devils FC midfielder.
The kickoff for the women's match will happen at 7:00 PM, on Sunday, with the Ontario Soccer Centre Stadium in Woodbridge playing host. The men's match begins at 4:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased for $10 at the gate and live-streamed for those who can not make the game in person. Please see www.league1ontario.com for details regarding the broadcast.