Buchanan, Lawrence Tough in Canada Draw
June 12, 2015 11:41 AM | General
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Lawrence registered a team-best two shots on goal against New Zealand.
Photo from Ashley Lawrence
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A 30 minute weather delay in the fourth minute set the tone for a hard-fought 0-0 draw Thursday evening in a Group A match between Canada and New Zealand at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, in front of 35,544 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta.
For the second straight World Cup match, rising West Virginia University juniors Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence played the full 90 minutes. Buchanan, a defender and native of Brampton, Ontario, scored her 34th career start, while Lawrence, a midfielder and native of Toronto, earned her sixth start on her 20th birthday.
With the draw, Canada sits at the top of Group A with four points (1W, 1D). China PR and the Netherlands each show three points (1W, 1L), and New Zealand is fourth with one point (1L, 1D).
Lawrence finished with a team-best two shots on goal, earning one chance each half.
“That was a very entertaining match,” said Canada coach John Herdman in his postgame press conference. “New Zealand was tough as we expected, they were physical and good with the set-plays. I thought we were the better team, but we need to hit the back of the net. We defended resolutely. That was a dominant second half for long periods, and we just needed to capitalize. All-in-all, another solid performance from Canada, we just need to find the net and give the fans something to cheer.”
The Canadians finished with a 6-1 advantage in shots on goal and also earned eight corner kicks to New Zealand’s five.
The Canadians conclude group play against the Netherlands on Monday, June 19, at 7:30 p.m., at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec. Should Canada win, the team would advance to the knockout round for the second time ever.
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