Falcons U-16 League Champs

NEW GLASGOW – The Northern Nova United Falcons have ridden their first place league finish during the regular season to the Highland Soccer League Championship and a berth in the Soccer Nova Scotia provincial championships.
The Falcons recorded two victories last week to capture league’s Under-16 female soccer title to advance them to the provincials scheduled for Labour Day weekend in Bridgewater.
Isabelle Bennett had the hot foot, firing four goals each to the low far post on the left side of the cage, as the Falcons posted an 8-0 semifinal triumph in their first win last week against Pictou United.
Alyson Fulton scored a brace while Jessica Deagle and Juliana Ali had single goals.
Assists were credited to Fulton with two, while singles were added by Karleigh Avery Micaela Williams from a corner kick, Paige Clarke, Ali, Kristin MacKinnon, Stephanie Lamey, Madison McGuire, Emma MacNeil and Sam Rankin from a throw-in.
Clarke and MacKenzie Bell shared the clean sheet in goal stopping all six Pictou shots on target. Megan Constable, Shelby MacLennan at defender and Karleigh Avery at sweeper had great games for the white, blue and black of NNU.
The Falcons edged the Colchester County Riders from Truro by a 2-1 margin in the championship game.
The Falcons led 2-0 by the 11-minute mark on goals by Lindy Quann and MacKinnon, while the Riders scored early in the second half.
Williams, MacKinnon, Quann and Ali collected assists.
The Northern Nova squad was a true Pictou County crew with members from Scotsburn to Pictou, to Merigomish, Kenzieville and all points in between.
They jelled as a cohesive unit, with some members having never played summer soccer before and others being graduates of a U-14 team or various school teams and still others were the returning core from last season’s provincial runners-up.
“I was pleased all season with their coachability, their interest in learning and developing and wanting to get better,” coach Bob Boardway said. “They are a versatile group that genuinely have fun together and work hard for one another.”