In a thrilling showdown at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre on Sunday morning, Brampton Soccer Club outlasted Ottawa South United to claim the U14 Girls Final after a close 3-2 victory.

Brampton came out strong, setting the tone early with a penalty kick from Lily Jamieson just five minutes into the match. The early lead energized Brampton, and just six minutes later, Vanessa Sepe doubled the advantage with a long-range strike into the bottom corner, leaving Ottawa's goalkeeper Sofiya Smith without a chance.

Ottawa fought back as they searched for a way into the game. Their persistence was evident as Arya Wynter took multiple free kicks throughout the first quarter, including a dangerous one in added time. However, Wynter’s best chance flew just over the bar, keeping Ottawa off the scoresheet in the opening half.

Brampton’s Amelia Murchie came up big, denying Ottawa in the 38th minute when Olivia Lafrange fired a shot on target. Meanwhile, Sepe continued to be a threat, nearly setting up a third goal in the 22nd minute with a well-timed through ball to Delila Bedenikovic, though the attempt went wide.

In the second half, Ottawa regrouped and found their rhythm. After Sepe narrowly missed another opportunity in the 63rd minute, Ottawa responded in the 69th minute. A well-taken free kick from Wynter found Zeina Zibara, who looped a header into the net, pulling Ottawa back into the contest at 2-1.

Just as Ottawa’s momentum seemed to build, Brampton responded quickly. In the 78th minute, Abigail Ellinas made a determined run toward the goal, calmly finishing past the onrushing keeper to extend Brampton’s lead to 3-1.

Ottawa refused to back down. A minute later, Zibara capitalized again, embarking on a solo run and slipping the ball past Murchie to bring Ottawa within striking distance at 3-2. But Brampton maintained their lead until the end, with Sepe playing a pivotal role throughout the match, constantly pressing Ottawa’s defense and orchestrating Brampton’s attacks.

In the end, Brampton’s early goals and resilient performance were enough to earn them a well-deserved 3-2 win over a valiant Ottawa South United.

You can watch the full match on the Ontario Soccer YouTube channel. 

Visit the Ontario Soccer Facebook page to see the full photo album.