Washington Dutch Lions FC (6-1-1) won the 2021 WPSL Colonial Conference Championship after a thrilling 1-0 win vs SJEB FC in a championship game.
Both teams could claim the championship with a win, a tie would mean that CAFC Ospreys would win the 2021 title. The Lions had faced SJEB FC on the first game of the season where the Lions won 3-1. But SJEB FC won five consecutive games after that loss and with a 21-1 score. With the three most important points of the year for both teams on the line, the crowd was ready for an exhilarating matchup.
The game’s intensity was felt since kickoff with the season on the line. The Lions started out strong with great ball control and passing in the first 15 minutes of the game, but despite having most of the possessions they were not able to convert that into scoring opportunities. After the first 15 minutes SJEB FC took over control creating multiple dangerous opportunities before the half. Two shots even hit the crossbar and the heroics of goalkeeper Serena Mensah kept the game tied going into the half.
The Lions had were faced with one more hurdle, halfway into the second half Sheyenne Bonnick, who had been outstanding for the team all season, went down with an injury and was forced out of the game. The depth of the Lions allowed them to stay strong and by subbing in Tiffany Dang, who had been in great form scoring her first goal in the previous game, they were able to maintain control of the left wing and create opportunities down the sideline. Knowing that both teams had to win it was an exciting game to watch. The Lions and SJEB FC kept trading shots but with an amazing goalkeeper exhibition by both keepers, the game was starting to feel like it was going to end in a scoreless tie with CAFC Ospreys as winner. But one more time, one of the most lethal duos in the Colonial Conference rose up to the occasion. Midfielder Dakota Chan was the architect of a play, where she completed multiple passes before finding herself at the edge of the box and putting in a cross that Priya Nair was able to control and put past the keeper at the 83rd minute of the game. With 7 minutes left in the game the Lions were now up 1-0 and the flow of the game changed. After the goal the Lions starting flowing and completing more passes, with a boost in confidence the team was able to shut out their opponents and dominate the remaining minutes of the game. The whistle blew and the Lions were crowned Colonial Conference Champions in their first season of club history!
After an outstanding season the players celebrated with their staff and fans. A hard fought and deserved championship after all of the effort the players put in. With the season over the players will be taking their well deserved rest after being crowned champions. We want to thank the WDL FC fans for their support throughout the season, both at the games and online!
