The U-15 Girls Ontario Cup Final between the Sarnia Spirit and the Kitchener Academy was a rubber match of sorts for these squads.

Having faced each other in league play already three times this year, with each side winning once and drawing one another, the Ontario Cup final was the stage for the deciding game in this rivalry.  

Both squads had their chances in the early going but neither team wanted to commit too many resources forward and took a cautious approach.

It took a looping Lexi Kroeker strike in the 35th minute to open up the game.

Kitchener’s Kroeker pounced on the loose ball on the edge of the box and her shot caught the Sarnia keeper off the line to make it 1-0.

After the second half began it was all Sarnia who began to press and really hold possession in the opening minutes.

The momentum quickly disappeared however when Kitchener’s Sasha Marikano shook off her defender and sprung Maxine Sieczkowski.

Sieczkowski slipped the ball around the Sarnia keeper and made it 2-0 Kitchener. 

Marikano would increase Kitchener’s lead moments later when her shot fooled the Sarnia keeper to make it 3-0.

15 minutes later, it was Marikano once again. She seemed intent in taking on the entire Sarnia squad, as she bullied her way into the box. When a Sarnia player was finally able to get the ball off her, the clearance fell right to the foot of Megan Heyes, whose curling shot, from well out, went off the post and in to make it 4-0 Kitchener.

Sieczkowski scored her second goal of the game with a fantastic individual effort that ended with her chipping her shot to the far post before banking it into the back of the net and making it 5-0.

That would be all they would need and Kitchener Academy would be crowned U-15 Girls Ontario Cup champions.

With the win, Kitchener now qualifies for the 2017 Toyota National Championships, which will be hosted in Calgary beginning on Oct. 4. 

Visit the Ontario Soccer Facebook page to see all the photos from the final.