Saints win #SheCanSheWill Cup in nail-biting final
On Wednesday 20 April University of St Andrews Women’s 1s football team travelled to the Oriam in Edinburgh to face the University of Stirling Women’s 1s in a long fight for the #shecanshewill Cup. The team made it to the final after a hugely successful and unbeaten British universities and colleges sport (BUCS) Scottish Division 1A season.
This competition was set up to not only provide more opportunities for females to play the game at a competitive level but also give the women’s game its own special competition to what the men have with the Queens Park Shield. The cup was previously known as the SSS Women’s Cup until it was rebranded just before the pandemic began. The first final of the cup was back in 2012 where University of St Andrews Women’s football team lost 3-1 to Edinburgh College, a final that University of St Andrews hosted.
The game ran for the 90 minutes and remained 0-0, the game then went into extra time where still both teams remained goalless, this resulted in the penalties. Both team selected 5 players to take their shots, St Andrews started strong and Stirling could not keep up resulting in St Andrews Women’s team winning the cup.
Director of Football Stuart Milne said “We reached the final for the second time in 2020 but the final was never played due to the pandemic. Yesterday was our 3rd appearance and we are delighted to get the win for the first time. The players have put so much into this season that to sign it off with a 100% winning season in the league and winning this cup makes it a very special one indeed. This group of players have become legends of the club which is a fitting testament.”
Captain Cally Wuthrich added “as a team, we could not imagine a better way to finish off the season and as a captain I could not imagine a better group of girls to play alongside. However, beyond just our team, I want to recognize what an achievement this is to the entire women’s side of the football club. The fact that the club has gone from struggling to field a women’s team in its early days to now winning the Scottish women’s national cup just goes to show that our win yesterday is a culmination of years and years of hard work, not just from our team, but from every player and coach who has been a part of this program over the years. While football is on the rise among women and girls in Scotland, there still remains a major lack of female representation in football and by being on this team and winning the national title, I hope that we have done a small part in inspiring the next generation of Scottish female footballers. So, this cup is for us but also for all the girls that have come before us and all the girls that will come after.”
A report of the game from Scottish Student Sport can be read here.