VOYAGEURS SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN LOSS TO DIVISION LEADERS

LAC LA BICHE – At first glance, 6-0 doesn't sound like a very flattering score, especially in soccer. But take more than a fleeting glimpse and things suddenly things look a lot different – at least, this is how Macky Singh sees it.

The head coach of the Portage College Voyageurs was pleased with the strides his players took in the last seven days, only a week removed from a 9-0 loss to the Concordia Thunder in Edmonton. Back home in the windy confines of the Bold Center Soccer Field, the Voyageurs put up a good fight against the same Thunder and avoided giving up goals in bunches as they had against the Northern Division co-leaders the previous week.

"We wanted to improve from last week against them," said Singh. "In fact, we did really well against them last week but in the last 10 minutes we let the game slip away. So this week, we made sure that we didn't collapse like we did last week. And so, you know when they scored the goals it was not chunks, it was sort of spread out. So that's a positive."

Considering that once again due to injury he was only able to field an 11-person lineup with no substitutes, the experienced head coach was proud of his players and the determination they showed.

"Obviously we're still miles away in terms of our fitness and a lot of our injuries but to see constant improvement is big for us," said Singh as he continues to work with his staff to rebuild the women's soccer program.

There may finally be a small light at the end of the tunnel for the beleaguered Voyageurs, as they don't have any more back-to-back games this season, allowing the women to heal up a little bit. Singh is also expecting a couple of players to be back in the lineup on Thursday night when Portage hosts Lakeland College which will allow him to substitute for injured or tired players.

"Hopefully that'll help us just a bit more in terms of managing players and our fitness," he said. "It's good that we have a break between games."

Players of the Game
Concordia: #22 Hadlee Wensveen

Portage: #16 Amelia Whiting