Jefferson Hagen / MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Under siege, against the wind and running on tired legs deep into the second half of their Canada West quarter-final playoff match on Sunday, the MacEwan Griffins somehow found a way to stick a late dagger into the home-standing Alberta Pandas.
Pure bedlam erupted on the Griffins' bench after Kaylin Hermanutz – subbed back into the game just a couple minutes earlier – headed home a Salma Kamel cross in added time to give MacEwan a 2-1 victory over the Pandas at Foote Field.
"That was crazy. I honestly don't really remember what happened," said Hermanutz after the melee of celebration had calmed down. "I just threw my body (towards the ball)."
Officially credited as a header, but possibly put in off her collarbone, Hermanutz's tally sends the Griffins back to the Canada West Final Four where they'll be a win away from advancing to the USPORTS national championship for the first time in program history.
"It means everything," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro, whose team lost in the conference semifinal in 2016. "When we started this journey in August, we wanted to get back to where we were a year ago, so we could learn from those experiences and punch our ticket. Nobody said it was going to be easy. This league is so talented.
"There's so many highs and lows throughout the year, but we knew what we had here – nine returning starters from last year's team that came a game away (from advancing to nationals). We're playing quality football at the right time of the year. That's what you need."
The Pandas dominated the time of possession throughout a match that featured swirling winds and even sideways flurries at one point. But the Griffins merely only bent without breaking. Although MacEwan was outshot dramatically (23-9), the Griffins actually put more balls on net (5-4).
MacEwan struck first on the chilly afternoon in the 18th minute when striker Meghan Oram got a header on Jamie Erickson's booming free kick from midfield and planted it perfectly inside the left post.
"It was a great start. We did what we needed to do. We got up early," said Cordeiro. "It was a well-executed set piece by Jamie Erickson on our end and what a header goal by Meghan Oram."
For the longest time, it appeared that goal might stand up as Alberta sent wave after wave of pressure, but MacEwan's back line and keeper Emily Burns stood tall. Alberta's Kiera Fujimoto hit the post in the 34th minute before Sydney Daines, with an open lane on the left side in the 37th, sailed it over the bar.
With the wind at their backs in the second half, Alberta continued to press for the equalizer. They were finally successful when midfielder Aly Parth sent a 73rd-minute free kick from the right edge of the box into a scramble and, after the ball ticked off a few bodies, Karissa McNutt put a boot on the tying tally.
"Credit U of A," said Cordeiro. "They're obviously a very strong side, well coached. They put it on us. We had to weather the storm a little bit. They broke through on a set piece. We said set pieces were going to be the difference today, we each got one."
On an inspired run in the 80th minute, Kamel nearly put the Griffins back out front, but Reif, who formerly played for MacEwan, got a hand on it to chip it over the bar.
Alberta's Morgan Corbett had a swing to put it away in the 90th minute, but she hit the post.
That set up the dramatic winning goal just before the official's final whistle. Kamel ran onto a great through ball, deked out Reif who had come out to challenge and sent a cross in that Hermanutz charged onto and sent into a yawning cage guarded only by a pair of Alberta defenders.
"We just had a feeling," said Cordeiro, who subbed Hermanutz back in for Oram in the 90th minute. "Kaylin provided us with a lot in the first half. And so, we went to her to get some fresh legs up front. That's what Kaylin does. She goes to the net. She goes hard.
"Salma Kamel, inserted at half-time, what a game she had. Rebecca Reif made some great saves for U of A today, but Salma turned the corner and Kaylin Hermanutz was in the right place, right time. Fantastic finish."
And so MacEwan is off to the Canada West Final Four, which will be hosted at Trinity Western in Langley, B.C. next weekend.
After Victoria knocked out Calgary with a 1-0 win later on Sunday, the Griffins are set to meet the Vikes in one semifinal. UBC and TWU will meet in the other. The semifinal winners advance to the USPORTS national championship Nov. 9-12, hosted by the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
EXTRA POINTS ... Burns was named MacEwan's player of the game for the match ... The victory was the Griffins' third-straight over the Pandas after also defeating them 3-0 in the final regular season game last season and 1-0 in September.
