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Saints need extra time to capture third straight soccer title

Emma Cutting scored the championship winner in the 87th minute, delivering a hard-fought win over the St. Ignatius Falcons.

THUNDER BAY – It took her seven minutes into extra time, but Emma Cutting finally scored the goal that delivered the gold.

It was the only goal of Thursday high school girls championship final, helping the St. Patrick Saints to a hard-fought 1-0 win over a St. Ignatius Falcons team that out-shot their opponent 20-10, but couldn’t find a way to put the ball past keeper Karina Metz.

That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, the Saints finished with a season-long clean slate, not allowing a single goal all year.

Cutting said she thought the winning goal might never come.

“I was just trying to stay high, trying to stay on side. I knew when Sarah (Black) got the ball she was going to try to get it over to me. I knew to just run on to it and do what you’ve got to do – you’ve got to score. If you don’t score, you don’t win,” Cutting said.

The 16-year-old, a Grade 10 student at the south-side school, said it was a chance at redemption after missing a glorious chance the Saints regular-season match-up against the Falcons.

“Last time we played Iggy, I missed an open net, so I had to make up for it somehow for my team. Scoring the winning goal, I think that does it pretty well,” Cutting said.

Though she’s got three more chances to bring home a championship, winning one in 2022 and helping her graduating teammates make up for two seasons lost to COVID-19 made her first title that much more special.

“The seniors here, I really wanted to help them go to their last OFSSA before they graduate, help the freshmen coming in at least try to go to one OFSSA,” said Cutting, who will join her teammates at provincials from June 2 to June 4 in London, Ont.

It was a battle for the ages at Fort William Stadium.

Metz came up big the first time in the 23rd minute, soaring into the sky to nudge away a Georgia Ruberto shot destined for the back of the Saints net.

“It was going in the whole way until she dove and got her fingertips on it, so it was great to see,” said St. Patrick coach Nick Scarcello, whose team captured its third straight high school title and 10th since 1996.

The two teams hit the break still scoreless and it was the Saints who had the first good chance to score in the second, Cutting breaking free up the middle, only to fire it wide on St. Ignatius keeper Taylor Syrek in the 45th.

The Falcons had plenty of chances, but too many shots missed their mark. In the 65th Mia Bosch delivered a corner kick across the front of St. Patrick’s net, only to have Sarah Hughes’ header sail over the goal. Three minutes later Hannah Keesic had another chance, but lifted it over the net.

Their best opportunity came in the 70th, Ruberto with back-to-back chances alone in front. The first was stopped by the cool-as-ice Metz, the rebound booted into the side of the goal.

Bosch had one last chance in the 96th, awarded a free kick, but slammed it into St. Patrick’s defensive wall.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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