Banner Season: Ottawa concludes dominant season by galloping to OUA gold
London, Ont. - The final game of the 2018 OUA season would, as usual, feature the two remaining teams going for gold medal, and this time around, it was a face-off between the Ottawa Gee-Gees, and the Western Mustangs on their home turf.
The beginning of the match saw back-and-forth play between both sides, with the Gee-Gees patient possession going up against Western’s long balls and driving offence.
Ottawa’s possession game would end up paying off, as they outshot the Mustangs four to two by the end of the first frame. Mustangs’ goalkeeper Megan Girardi stepped up with multiple saves, helping her squad leave the first half scoreless.
The start of the second 45 minutes would still see a relentless back-and-forth affair between the two sides up until the 64:00 mark, when the Gee-Gees would finally put through the first goal of the game. Katherine Bearne put Ottawa on the board, finding the bottom left corner of the Mustangs’ net.
After taking the lead, Ottawa would continue to dominate the play from there out – running the ball through the midfield and keeping possession in the Mustangs defensive zone. As time started to run out on the clock, both sides remained physical as Ottawa was determined to keep their lead, while Western attempted to edge one past the Gee-Gees’ keeper Margot Shore.
The Garnet and Grey’s single goal was the only one needed for them to capture OUA gold, setting them up to play on home turf next weekend as they host the 2018 U SPORTS National Championship. They will be joined by the Mustangs and the McMaster Marauders as all teams look to conclude their 2018 with a win on the national stage.
The second day of OUA Final Four action, meanwhile, kicked off with the bronze medal match between the Queen’s Gaels and McMaster Marauders.
With a bronze medal and a spot in the 2018 USPORTS National Championships on the line, both teams came out looking to redeem themselves after falling to Western and Ottawa in their respective semifinals.
The Marauders took control of the game right off the first whistle, with the ball staying in the Gaels defensive end for the majority of the half. McMaster was able to maintain steady pressure, taking multiple shots on net and making key interceptions until they were finally able to break through the Gaels’ defence late in the frame.
After 44:00 of play, McMaster was able to punch in the first goal of the game. Stephanie Roberts found the top crossbar which deflected into the net, putting the Marauders in the lead.
Both teams came out firing to start the second half, with Queen’s and McMaster exchanging a shot on net within the first few plays. Once again, it was Roberts who found the back of the net for the Hamilton squad. A shot off a deflected ball from the Queen’s goalkeeper would extend McMaster’s lead to 2-0 after 50:00 of gameplay.
The Gaels would respond with offensive pressure of their own, led by Jenny Wolever, as Queen’s started to make moves in their offensive end, but to no avail.
The Marauders kept putting pressure on the Gaels’ defence, with Lindsay Bosveld and Jade Smith getting in multiple shots on net, before McMaster would once again add to their lead. At the 81:00 mark, a corner kick translated into a third goal with a header from Ally Riganelli.
The Marauders finished the game 3-0, and with the win, secured themselves a spot in next weekend’s U SPORTS festivities.
