Sept. 23/06
Erin Mills Tourney provides answers still lingering
With three key players missing, the Nitros were able to experiment by inviting new players to the tournament. The team had 4 guest players on board and realistically featured a new defence, which never played in that formation before plus a new goalkeeper.
The coaches were able to pinpoint a few items which were bothering the Nitros' play this season and even though all games ended in losses, the learning curve for coaches and players was as expected.
It was an exhausting Saturday with three games being played against Oakville, London and Erin Mills. This excursion for the Nitros was sponsored by the USC Academy. The USC normally stays away from tourneys with more than 2 games a day, but this 'end of season trial' at the Eagles was too inviting to decline.

September 17/06
Unionville shows its class by eliminating Nitros in cup semi-final
It was a damp morning and even though the Nitros knew what was asked of them, it was also a morning when nothing worked out for them on the field. Unionville was on the board one minute into the half and never looked back, adding another goal minutes later from a beautifully curved freekick.
The pressure UV put on was hard to defend against but the Nitros created the odd counter attack with good scoring chances, which were unfortunately not converted into goals.
Unionville definitely was a class above the Nitros on this morning, and they demonstrated why they are the unbeaten team in this division.
Final score: UV 5, Toronto 0.
It was disheartening for the North Toronto squad to close the season with such a fruitless game. There is much to be done over the winter to improve the situation.
Unionville went on to beat Ajax#1 3-0 to win the championship.

September 12/06
Nitros finish season by trouncing Ajax 5-2
North Toronto's U15 girls showed again spirit and pride in their last league game of the season. A win would promise them a secure spot in fifth place. Not that it meant anything in regards of relegation and promotion, but it meant a lot for the sometimes mentally fragile team. It definitely helped that Ajax was undermanned, and the scoring started early in the 2nd minute. From then on the book was opened and the studying began. All goals were scored off beautiful inter-play and with each goal the confidence grew. The Nitro defence was solid this time and provided good forward play.In the second half Emmy and Heather replaced Mady and Laura in defence and played a solid game. They were not at fault in the two goals scored against the Nitros. Those goals came after errors in the midfield.
It was important for the girls to win this game convincingly, because it is good to go into the cup game against Unionville with confidence. Unionville is a very different opponent and the Nitros know that only hard work will get them results against this team. Best players in no particular order: Heather, Elaine, Danny, Laura S, Charly, Alex, Lauren, Meredith. These players stood out for various reasons, but everybody performed well.

September 5/06
Oshawa puts damper on Nitros: 2-1.
Oshawa deservedly won this fixture after the Nitros let another lead slip away.
After going ahead in the second minute on a goal by Laura S, Nitros seemed poised to go all the way in this game, looking to score more goals. But Oshawa regained composure and slowly worked their way into this game. In the 20th minute North Toronto's defence broke down and the goal keeper could only put her fingertips on the ball before it settled inside the net.
The hosts never gained control of the game until the interval.
The Nitros seemed to know that a healthy dose of energy would be needed to break the deadlock. But it was Oshawa scoring their second of the evening, after total mayhem in the NTSC penalty box.
It took a few minutes until the Nitros stepped up the game, but it seemed every ball forward actually ended up outside the playing field. With daylight diminishing and time running out, North Toronto kept pushing forward and created one scoring chance after another, but the ball was either inches over the bar, or into the hands of the keeper. Oshawa resorted to simply kicking the ball out under pressure and secured their well deserved victory. Best players in no particular order: Heather, Danny, Laura S, Lauren, Alex.
August 31/06

Spirited Etobicoke almost spoils Nitros' cup hopes.
It was one of those nights when nothing seemed to work for the Nitros. The entire team looked as if they were caught in a time warp and the coach must have lost a few of his hairs during the contest. Etobicoke was up to every move the Nitros made and this was majorly due to the 'slow motion' approach the team seemed to be stuck in. Everybody looked sluggish, and while North Toronto did create a few worthwhile scoring opportunities, they failed to knock the ball across the goal line. This worked all in favour of Etobicoke whose quickly taken counter attacks caused major trouble in the Nitros defence. When the half time whistle blew, Etobicoke should have been up by one goal simply for effort.
Right from the re-start, the Nitros looked more motivated and took the initiative. Most passes went astray though and long balls never found the target player. After a few player changes, the Nitros finally were on the scoreboard in the 60th minute. Lauren cracked a shot just under the crossbar, which popped away from the net, but Aislinn was there to repeat a similar shot, only this time the ball deflected from the crossbar over the goal line. This goal proved to be the winner as Etobicoke kept attacking relentlessly. With Etobicoke rapidly loosing strength, the Nitros all of a sudden looked as if they could score more goals, moving the ball creatively and with purpose.
Unfortunately the game was over by that time. There were many who watched the game and would rather forget the way it was played.
Best players in no particular order: Michelle, Danny.

August 29/06
Unexplainable 5 minutes of overtime give Peterborough the tie: 3-3
Peterborough started the game with vigor and put the Nitros under considerable pressure early on. It took about 5 minutes for the visitors to catch up and set their own pace. With Alex providing good speed on the left wing, she flew in and unleashed a shot at net which was deflected by the keeper. Heather said 'thank you' and cracked the ball into the net. 1-0 Nitros (10').
Ten minutes later the defence was caught napping and Kara mis-timed her run to block the shot of a speedy Peterborough attacker. 1-1 (20'). From here on the seesaw battle was on. Laura R unleashed a fire cracker of a shot just off the upright from 20 yards out. In the 35th minute, Elaine swung in a beautiful ball, finding Emy who bobbed it to in-rushing Charlotte, who nodded it through the keeper's hands. 2-1 Nitros. Following a Peterborough counter-attack, Nitros created their own when Aislinn broke free in the left midfield and pushed the ball just centimetres past the far post from the corner of the 18 yard box.
Then a strange thing happened: A quick counter attack and 4 defenders plus the keeper only watched as a Peterborough player placed the ball into the Nitros' net. 2-2 (44').
In the dying seconds of the first half, Heather was bluntly tripped in the penalty area, but the ref decided to blow the whistle for half time, instead of pointing to the penalty spot.
The second half started with the Nitros taking charge.
In the 55th minute Elaine found herself alone on the right wing, being pressed towards the corner flag. She managed to get free from the defender and kicked the ball towards the net from a hard angle. It curled right in front of the goal and found its way into the far corner, just below the crossbar, past the helpless keeper. 3-2 Nitros. Peterborough pressed hard for the tying goal and it was difficult for the visitors to keep team shape. With Peterborough crowding the defensive third, they forced the defence to make mistakes. Nevertheless, when the game was over, the Nitros found themselves still 1 goal ahead. Only the referee kept the time and he was overdrawing the game now drastically. Then, Peterborough won a corner and pushed everybody into the box. The N-girls failed to clear and the home team scored their hard-fought equalizer. 3-3. This occurred 5 minutes after the game should have finished. 30 seconds later the referee blew the whistle to end the game. This was an exciting game which the Nitros should have won.

August 26/06
CGSL CUP promises clash of top teams
With Peterborough narrowly tieing Barrie (is it a surprise?) forcing a shoot out win of 3-1, that side of the semi-finals is set: Peterborough versus Ajax#1.
For the Nitros this means that they have a chance to face the best team, Unionville, in the semis.
But first one more hurdle must be taken, and that hurdle is Etobicoke, who definitely would like to throw that stick the Nitros way. So far, Etobicoke has been a tough opposition for the Nitros. Winning this fixture will take more than just focus and discipline. It is a matter of who wants it more. Being in 5th spot in the table, mingling in the semis would really mean a lot for the girls, and that will also hold true for Etobicoke. It is assumed that the slogan to the right of this column becomes the mantra for the N-girls: If it is to be, it's up to me!

August 22/06
Barrie storms from behind to tie Nitros 2-2
Something happened half way through the second interval which still needs some explanation. How the Nitros could give up a perfect 2 -0 lead with a little more than 15 minutes left in the game remains a mystery.
The N-girls showed up at the Barrie Soccer Complex with their minds made up: there will not be a repeat of a 3 -0 result for Barrie!
The way the game unfolded it was clear that the girls meant what they were saying. Everybody seemed to stick to a pre-determined game plan and it was Alex who sprung loose after a perfect pass from Elaine to beat a still-standing Barrie defence for the opening goal. Still in stride, she beat the keeper on the far post from the edge of the 18 yard box.
Barrie seemed frazzled by this goal but were not able to counter-act in a meaningful way in the dying minutes of the first half.
North Toronto used the half time break to re-generate their tired legs, because only 13 players were present tonight.
The second half began just as the first, with the exception that Barrie started to play dirty. Alyssa received an elbow in the face and the referee booked Barrie with a yellow card. Another foul outside Barrie's 18 almost resulted in the second goal, but Alyssa's freekick just skinned the crossbar.
Alex later crossed the ball towards the goal and in the resulting scramble, the keeper knocked it off the post herself: 2-0 Toronto. Minutes later, Alex was blatantly flattened in the penalty box, but the official did not see a penalty kick offence. After that, it was Barrie throwing everybody forward and the N-girls were desperately trying to clear the balls. Barrie scored on one of too many cornerkicks, and on one of too many clearance passes which went awry. Nitros held on to keep the score at 2-2. This game won't be forgotten too quickly, because everybody knows that Barrie said 'thank you' for this valuable gift. Regardless of the score, North Toronto showed character, determination and strength to deserve high praises.
Best players in no particular order and besides a great team effort: Alyssa, Michelle, Heather.

August 16/06
Etobicoke on a mission, but Nitros prevail 3-1
The North Torontonto team controlled 90% of this hard-fought battle but never managed to play at the speed and class the coach demands of this team.
"...but results are what counts in this scenario, and we take these 3 points gladly," coach Baedorf explained. "Truthfully, the defence never reached the 'safe' form we like to see and our forwards never really converted our chances."
In fact, it was the U13 'call-ups' who in this game, just as in the previous wins, made the difference in the midfield and in attack for the depleted N-girls squad. After ET scored on a freekick 20 minutes into the half, Katie took one of many chances to attack the 18 yard box with speed and was bluntly flattened by a much taller ET player.
The result was a penalty kick, which Alyssa blasted off the fingertips of a diving keeper.
The second interval was dictated again by the Nitros but the defence was unable to maintain the ET counterattacks at times, which made the game unnecessarily hair-raising for Nitros fans.
Charlotte finally arrived into the pass of Alex's attempt on goal and cracked the ball into the net.
Towards the end of the interval, Alex again served a cross which created havoc in the penalty box and Charlotte deflected the ball into the net, off her thigh.
Noteworthy:
Katie was a constant thorn in the thigh of the ET defence, Martha replaced the relyable Laura R in left mid convincingly and Brooke held her own as a defensive midfielder. It was a very good show by the U13 players!
Best players: No vote at this time. It was a team result, which was needed.

August 10/06
Cobourg falls to Nitros 6-2
This was another 'must win' for the N-girls and they did not disappoint. They outplayed Cobourg most of the time but almost let them take charge of the game half way through the second period.
Cobourg started the game strong and it took a while for the Nitros to gain confidence. After Pippa opened the scoring the N-girls never looked back. The U13 players, Pippa and Julia, were a much needed addition to the depleted roster and they proved in two games not only to themselves, that they can play at this level and make a difference. Best players: no luck here. Everybody put out and went for the result.

August 8/06
East York puts up a tough fight
but lose to Nitros 2-0
It seems night games favour the Nitros, because this one certainly was a hard fought game and the N-girls came out on top. Pippa and Julia, playing up from the U13 Nitros, made a huge difference in the overall approach the Nitros took. A constant wave of attacks wore out the undermanned EY team who nevertheless 'never surrendered'. It was Pippa who set the accents up front for the visitors and she pierced the EY defence at times at will, scoring both Nitros goals. Julia fit in well on the left wing and helped makng the midfield klick with good defensive and forward surges. Best players: No vote because it was a well organized unit that backed up the forwards and rarely made mistakes.
The Nitros went for the result they needed, and they got it!

August 1/06
Unionville sneaks by Nitros on questionable goal. 3-1
This is about the third time that the Nitros had to switch fields at Sunnybrook because of bad field management. The warm-up was shortened by 30 minutes, but the girls were ready for the game. Temperature: about 32 C.
Both teams started scrappy, obviously because of the unbearable heat. The Nitros did not cover the midfield well and the result was a goal for UV from far out after 20 minutes. Still, the game was played evenly with nobody making spectacular plays. In fact, the Nitros managed to create good chances in the offensive third, while UV seemed to loose shape.
After the intervall the N-Girls stepped up the game and immediately created two remarkable scoring opportunities, which unfortunately were saved by the keeper.
Then the unthinkable happened: A goal which was no goal, or was it?
After a hard shot on the Nitros net, the ball bounced off the crossbar, outside the goal line and was kicked high over the bar by a UV striker. The referee decided it was a goal, after questioning the linesman.
This dampened the spirit a little, but somehow the 'team geist' took over and Emilie scored a glorious goal by placing the ball into the net from a rebound off the post. Nitros were caught pressing for the equalizer, when UV had a counterattack which resulted in the winning goal after a scramble in the box.
This game could have gone either way, but a tie probably would have been the realistic outcome. The score is a bit flattering for UV and everybody saw a good game for the N-Girls go sour. Best Players: It would be unfair to pick individuals this time, because the circumstances were extreme. Everybody stepped up to the plate. The Nitros look forward to the next game.

JULY 25/06
Ajax tops Nitros 2-1.
Nitros' scoring woos cost the team dearly. This was probably the most useless way of playing soccer for the normally quite spirited Nitros. Man marking was almost non existing, 1v1's were seldom won, key positional mistakes and key decision making mistakes were the rule, shots on net were rare and it was no wonder that Ajax won this contest. For a while it looked as if only one small mistake on either side would decide this game, but the N-girls were shut off on the left wing and hardly ever were able to create useful crosses.
It was only when Elaine crossed from deep that Laura R connected from the left and hit the crossbar. This was the second scoring chance after Alex shot the ball high over the net on a breakaway from close range. In the last minute of play, Alex crossed from the right flank and Danny placed the ball into the net. It was a sweet goal which mellowed the outcome of this game, but the negatives outweighed the positives in this fixture.
Best players in this game, in no particular order.....: Heather, Michelle.

JULY 23/06
SOCCER, SOCCER, SOCCER!
The Nitros enjoyed one week of soccer training at the USC Academy, before heading to Gloucester for an 'all girls' tournament. 
The full day USC clinic dealt with '18 yard box' situations and was held at Toronto's prestigious Crescent School. It was a week of learning who you are and what you can do for most players. The reward was a trip to Gloucester for a two day tournament against top teams from Ontario and Quebec.
The N-girls lost two games in a close contest in which the opponent was for the most part outplayed.
Unlucky breaks gave the Gloucester Team a 2-1 victory, while the Quebec
team capitalized on a 5 minute Nitro 'dizzy spell' to win the game 4-1.
The Nitros never gave up and pushed everybody forward and by doing so left the back door open for the 4th goal: a 'gift' for the opponents. The score line simply does not reflect that game and it was a tough loss.
But N-girls have a spirit unmatched by other teams and the final game was theirs beating the Quebec Challengers 5 nothing. Sweet revenge for those who count goals. But the Nitros were definitely winners of the tournament in the coach's mind, because many players played beyond expectations and lifted the team to new heights. Well done Nitros!

JULY 18/06
NITROS 2 - COBOURG 0
The Nitros seem to understand each other better on the field, the passing is almost what is expected and the goals were never prettier than this evening. The N-girls were very engaged even before the opening whistle and transferred good energy onto the field. Perhaps it was the USC camp which got them think more creative, but everybody was involved throughout the game. In the 20th minute the ball found its way into the Cobourg 18 via Laura R's solo run and onto
the head of Aislinn, who directed it wide to the far post where Alyssa rushed in sending it across the goalmouth with a powerful header, only to meet Laura R's foot again to be drilled into the net. The second goal had similar qualities which made the game enjoyable for the spectators.
This was a well deserved win, which could have even ended up with a more lobsided score.
Best players in no particular order: Mere, Aislinn, Alyssa, Laura R, Elaine.

JULY 11/06
AJAX 0 - NITROS 2
The Nitros arrived in Ajax with a mission: to win. That thought seemed to hold over until the final whistle but not without a few unnecessary and unanswered blunders.
The N-girls carried the attack to Ajax but failed to convert most chances, except for two, which were nicely arranged by Aislinn, Heather and Elaine. Aislinn completed her solo run with a fine finish in the 15th minute, 1-0. In the 30th, Heather pushed the ball into the net to make it 2-0 after Aislinn managed to keep it in play and knocking it hard across the goal line.
Ajax managed a few counter attacks but none seemed to be of consequence.
The second half started like the first, but Ajax enjoyed more time in the Nitros half this time and managed to keep the score at 2-0.
The N-girls did not look as organized as they did in the first intervall, but still were able to create wave after wave of creative attacks, unfortunately none to make the headlines.
There was good ball movement but the finishing needs to be looked at by the coach.
Best players in no particular order: Aislinn, Mere, Laura R, Laura S.

JULY 6/06
East York a rugged opponent in Cup Game:
EY 1 - Nitros 3
In an effort to stop their winless streak, the Nitros started the game well prepared right from the warm-up.
The N-girls began the game the same way they played against Oshawa, taking the game to the opponent. In spite of the horrendous surface, passing was at a premium and in contrast to the Oshawa game, the ball found its way to the opposite goal in regular intervalls. This time, which was their second encounter with the N-girls, East York became quite frustrated with the Nitros game and the trend was to counter in a very physical fashion, which should have seen plenty yellow cards.As a result, a number of N-girls are bruised and carry nagging injuries with them right now. The referee 'almost' sent one culprit off, but he did not. So the N-girls had to protect themselves, getting out of harm's way. At the 30 minute mark Aislinn pushed the ball into the net close to the left post after fine passing in the box, but as the dice fall, a high ball caught Michelle unprepared on the other end and sailed in under the bar to make it 1-1 in the 40th.
Not being discouraged, the N-girls insisted on their own game and after the intervall goals were had by Laura S after a great run and by Alex after beating the last person back. This was a very disciplined game for the N-girls, even though EY was pressing hard with minutes to go. Best Nitros players: ALL.

JULY 4/06
Oshawa surprizes Nitros with 3 goals.
Sometimes it just does not want to add up...so it seems. - With Laura and Alex resting in the first half, the Nitros build up quickly and started a fast passing game.
While the passing seemed to take priority, the ball rarely pressured the opposition goal. This paid off for Oshawa who counterattacked well prepared. Their speed created a little too much trouble for the Nitros and with a minute to go in the first half, Michelle had to pluck the ball out of the. holding their position and intelligently counter attacking.
Shifting the line-up in the second half seemed to make no visible difference to Oshawa who carried on their conservative style
However, the injection of Alex and Laura R into the game proved to be fruitful, because the threats of scoring on the other end became more and more evident. Unfortunately the Nitros defence was not able to absorb the speedy Oshawa onslaught and with everybody trying to make a difference up front, the back gave in. Oshawa created two more unanswered goals and this made many think about the Nitros 'Downward Spiral'.
Best players in no realistic order but for various reasons: Aislinn, Mady2, Laura S, Elaine.

JUNE 27/06
Peterborough 4, Nitros Zilch.
If indications prove true, the Nitros could well be on a steady downwards spiral. Even though the girls started a high pressing game, the ball rarely hit the target and when it did, the keeper was up to it. Peterborough was able to absorb the high pace of the first 20 minutes and managed quick counter attacks which had the defence scrambling. In the end the Nitros were recipients of 3 goals.
The interval was a welcome relief to discuss strategy and the North Toronto team was able to start the second half the way they started the first. Again and again, Aislinn and Laura attacked on the left but were denied rewarding goals. While Peterborough deserved high notes for keeping team shape, nobody can take away the hard work and spirit the Nitros put into this half. Peterborough rightfully travelled home with a win, but perhaps the score line is a bit flattering. Best players in no particular order:
Aislinn, Laura R, Elaine, Charlotte, Heather,

JUNE 20/06
Barrie takes 3 points from Nitros.
An overconfident Barrie side took the game to the Nitros and went home after depositing the ball 3 times in the Nitro net. Confidence was not to be found on the Nitros side, partially because a new defence was introduced, and perhaps because their captain Mere was missing in the lineup that evening. It took 2 goals and one half to regain the old Nitros grit. Once the defence had their job down, the midfield gained more and more possession and scoring chances became more frequent.
Towards the end of the second half Aislinn and Laura R consistantly pierced through the left defence creating pass after pass for Alex or Elaine to run into. Unfortunately communication was not always at par with the action and many chances went astray. Barrie took one last stab at the Nitros in the dying minutes with a beautiful long shot that beat Michelle on her left side, just under the crossbar..
Best players in this fixture and not in perfect order were: Aislinn, Heather, Alyssa, Laura R, Michelle.

JUNE 17/06
Coach experiments with new training method.
While others seek tournaments and exhibition games to develop a team, the USC Academy has implemented homefield training sessions coupled with test games against similar thinking teams, hereby creating a learning environment without the stress of winning, or making mistakes. It is a win-win situation for both teams and early reports from
parents indicate that they enjoy this type of set-up, seeing their daughters achieve their goals in a friendly environment.
"It reflects a little bit of the SAAC philosophy, which I really admire," says USC director Klaus Baedorf. "Hopefully we can attract more teams so we can continue a training/game series throughout the summer and perhaps even throughout the winter. It simply gives players a better opportunity to develop their skills"

JUNE 13/06
Nitros continue their scoring spree against Etobicoke: 6-2.
It might be that the Nitros prefered the late evening game under the flood lights, or perhaps the stars were aligned favourably, to enhance the fast forward play displayed by the Nitros. Right from the start there was a positive aura surrounding the team. 'Matter of factly' they warmed up and took to the field. Alex, Elaine, Heather, Laura R, all added to the unusual score. The goals against were scored with one punted right underneath a collapsing Kara and the other one from a beautiful explosive cross past a helpless keeper. Both goals were direct results from defensive lapses on the left wing and in front of the goal. While goals are what counts, it was not that alone which was impressive on this particular evening.
The Nitros controlled the ball well, exposed open space behind the defence, used their speed and most of all applied combination play to go forward. Players who impressed most, not in particular order:
Everybody!

JUNE 8/06
Nitros find the net against East York: 5-0.
The venue was switched from Sunnybrook Park to G.Ross Lord Park, but this inconvenience did not seem to bother the Nitros too much.
The starting line-up featured the youngest players on the squad and it was clear that the game would prove to be a learning step for them. Young Heather up front ran up a storm against the East York goal and her tireless approach rewarded her finally with a goal in the second half, deflecting the ball into the net to make it 4-0. Aislinn stepped up in the 10th minute to take the penalty kick, resulting from a handball. She tapped it to the right of the keeper, opening the scoring, 1-0.
After that the game became messy in midfield and the defence began to make sloppy mistakes.
Even so, East York withstood a multitude of corners, many more crosses and 5 direct misses in the first half.
The second half started with crisp passing and combination play up the wing. Elaine received a pass resulting from hard-working Laura on the wing and powered a shot from 18 yards out past the keeper, 2-0. Later Lauren took the ball from midfield to the edge of the box and sent it into the back of the net, 3-0. Laura R rewarded herself with a smooth goal from the outside of the penalty box, after Emilie won the ball in the Nitros' 18 and played it up the wing.
This was not a pretty game, by all means, but it is clear that certain players start to understand eachother better, and that is a good thing. Best players, unofficially and not in particular order: Aislinn, Laura R, Michelle, Heather, Charlotte.

May 30/06
Unionville tops Nitros 3-0.
On a very hot and humid night, Unionville showed great confidence and no particular urgency to beat the Nitros with 2 easy goals in the first half and one more in the second for security.
While the Nitros showed great individual flashes, the team never found a rythm and was rather outdone in defence by fearless Unionville strikers.
Both early goals were the consequence of sloppy defending and the third was just a brilliant strike from outside the 18 yard box.
Unionville looked like a team that knows their field.
One can tell they practice there which makes it their comfort zone.
This is something Nitro teams can only dream of, at least for now. Nitros are always playing an 'away' game, may it be at home or away. This is not an excuse for a team that still needs to do some growing up in regards of team play and cohesion, but it is a factor.
The Nitros did the best they could under the circumstances and nobody can take away their bite and spirit that other teams can only phantasize of.
Best players of this fixture were, not in this particular order: Michelle, Laura R, Charlotte, Aislinn.
There will be short individual talks between coaching staff and players and hopefully in time, our Nitros find a consistant groove.

May 23/06
Nitros hang on to edge Ajax 2-1 in home opener.

Charlotte's and Alex's goals in the first half proved to be enough to win this tough contest against a very aggressive Ajax squad.
This game was played with good motivation and because of that spectators saw a number of good combination plays between midfield and forwards. Towards the end of the first half Nitros showed signs of fatigue and had to endure many Ajax onslaughts.

A change by the coach to instill fresh legs in defence at the start of the second half seemed to back-fire because the new defenders were not ready for the fierce pressure Ajax put on in the first 10 minutes.
Overall best players of the game were (not in any particular order):
Michelle, Laura R, Charlotte, Aislinn.
If this game is an indication of the season ahead, Nitros need to fix frequent communication problems in defence and also work out a better system to work the ball out of a pressure situation.