Dream return for McCarthy as her first-half brace leads Griffins to 3-1 victory over Bisons

EDMONTON – Should we be surprised?

Not all, really.

The last time we saw Raeghan McCarthy in a Griffins jersey, she was scoring a key goal in the national final that helped secure MacEwan's 2021 U SPORTS Championship.

Four years later, it only took 10 minutes and 11 seconds for her to score again, her first of two first-half goals on Friday that lifted the MacEwan Griffins to a 3-1 triumph over the Manitoba Bisons in their home opener.

Her second goal in the 32^nd minute stood up as the game-winner, upping her career GWG total to nine, just one back of teammate Grace Mwasalla for the program record.

"Couldn't ask for any better, but I'm not surprised," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro. "It's just the type of player she is. She just does all the little things right. She's a fierce competitor. She can score; she can create. She's so responsible defensively. She was all over that pitch today. 

"Not only did she earn player of the game because of the two goals, but honestly, her play away from the ball was elite today and exactly what we needed – plays she broke up, passes she intercepted and aerial headers that she won was on full display today. 

"Dream start, I know she'll be happy and the team's happy for her."

On a dangerous break into the box in the 11^th minute, Mwasalla was fouled, leading to a penalty kick. Up stepped McCarthy – (whose goal in the U SPORTS national final against Trinity Western was also on a PK) – and she made no mistake, drilling it inside the left post to open the scoring.

McCarthy netted No. 2 on the day 21 minutes later when Brynn Hobal won a battle at the top of the box and fed it back to her for an inspired 30-yard strike that Manitoba keeper Holly Dyker got a piece of before it hit the mesh.

"I've been lucky enough to get a good preseason in with the girls," said McCarthy, who now has 14 career regular season goals (and another five in the playoffs) for MacEwan. "We've built a lot of chemistry together over the last few weeks, so I was definitely ready to play my game. 

"I was a little bit nervous at the beginning. I was kind of surprised. I don't usually get nervous before games. But it felt good getting out there and getting some goals, especially in my fifth year."

Fellow fifth-year Alyx Henderson put the Griffins up 3-0 in the 60^th minute after Ella Fownes' free kick was corralled by Mwasalla and the ball bounced off Paige Colby to Henderson, who volleyed it over a challenging Dyker. 

It's Henderson's 20^th career regular season goal, moving her into a tie for second in program history with Meagan Lemoine (2015, 2017-21).

"I thought we played really good for most of the game," said McCarthy. "The weather was definitely a factor. It's 34C outside and the turf definitely doesn't make it easy. So, it was a lot of managing the ball, and passing it around so we didn't tire ourselves out too quickly. 

"I thought we did really good keeping the ball and keeping our tempo up throughout the game."

Manitoba had its share of chances, hitting two crossbars (Breyanna Johnston-Krulicki, Malaya Fernandes) and getting robbed on a couple of point-blank chances by sharp Griffins goalkeeper Sabrina Alexander, who finished with seven saves.

Finally, the Bisons broke through in the 82^nd minute when Sydney Arnold got a header on an Alexandria Paul corner kick and Tabata Bravo found the next touch in traffic, slotting it in.

"That goal, we're going to have to work on – scramble, second phase on the corner," said Cordeiro. "We'll have to do a better job on the clearances. But it's the first game and there's always things you want to be improving on. Lessons learned in a couple moments today, but it didn't hurt us.

"Sabrina was just excellent when she needed to be. She had sure hands and made some great saves."

The two teams will meet again on Saturday (12 p.m., Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV).