October 19, 2009
OUA M-SOCCER ROUNDUP: VARSITY BLUES HOLD ONTO TOP SPOT WITH WINNING WEEKEND
The No. 6 nationally-ranked Toronto Varsity Blues (10-1-2) men's soccer team had a shutout weekend, defeating the Laurentian Voyageurs 2-0 on Friday and the Nipissing Lakers 1-0 on Saturday.
The Saturday contest began with some tough physical confrontations as both teams looked to impose their presence on the field.
The Blues forward line combination of Nordo Gooden (Kingston, Jamaica) and Toronto native Alexander Raphael took the play to the Voyageurs defence and their continued pressure eventually led to vulnerability in the back line. This resulted in an excellent opportunity for Dylan Bams (Fanny Bay B.C.), who nailed a shot off the crossbar in the 14th minute.
Gooden continued the pressure, making a quick run down the left side and sending a dangerous cross toward goal that was safely taken by Voyageurs keeper Scott Cliff (Hanmer, Ont.).
The visitors created some offence of their own in the 20th minute as Sudbury native Rudy Muteba kicked a hard shot low that forced John Smits (Mississauga, Ont.) to make an outstanding diving stop.
Raphael sent a strong ball in to Gooden but the fourth-year player could not muster enough power on his shot to get it past Cliff. After an excellent pass reception, Raphael wound his way through the opposing defence and sent a pass to the opposite post. Gooden charged in and would not be denied again as he sent a wonderful sliding tip into the back of the net putting the Blues up 1-0 going into half time.
Gooden picked up right where he left off, scoring his second of the match only a couple of minutes into the second half. Cliff came way off his line, allowing Gooden to place the ball past him in the low left corner.
Although both teams exchanged chances throughout the half, neither side managed to find the net again - the final score would remain 2-0.
Smits made three saves to preserve the shutout for the Blues and Gooden moves into share of the team scoring lead with Raphael as both players have six goals on the season.
On Sunday, Gooden had an excellent first half, consistently causing trouble in the Lakers defensive end. His creative playmaking resulted in a lovely goal in the 15th minute that he both started and finished. The fourth-year player sent a long through ball to Scarborough native Raphael on the baseline. Raphael then passed the ball to Seung Bok Lee (North York, Ont.), who found an open Gooden in front of the net for the wonderful finish, putting the Blues up 1-0.
After another excellent ball from Gooden, Geoffrey Borgmann (Dixie, Ont.) made a square pass across the front of the net to Bams. The Fanny Bay, B.C. native launched an absolute rocket that beat Lakers goalkeeper Cory Schwartz (Owen Sound, Ont.) but ricocheted off the high upright and out of danger.
Although Nipissing was awarded four corner kicks in the opening half, they could not find the goal and the score would remain 1-0 going into halftime.
The Varsity Blues would take over the game in the second half, winning nine corner kicks and bombarding the Lakers defence.
Mississauga native Federico Vaccaro was left with an open shot off a corner kick, however, released the ball wide of the net. Only moments later, Michael Prouse (Scarborough, Ont.) received a pass off a free kick and rifled a hard shot that was well saved by Schwartz. The Owen Sound, Ont. native had to remain solid, robbing Gooden not once, but twice, as the Blues continued to dominate the play.
Nipissing spent most of the half defending and were unable to muster much of an offensive threat, as the Blues would take the victory by a score of 1-0.
Schwartz was a standout player for the Lakers, making seven saves in the loss, while Nordo Gooden moved into a tie for first place in the OUA scoring lead, after tallying seven goals in 13 games.
The Varsity Blues move to a record of 10-1-2 on the season and continue to lead the OUA East with 32 points.
QUEEN'S 2, CARLETON 1
At Queen's, Nathan Klemencic (Trenton Ont.) handled all the scoring for the host Gaels (7-1-4) in a 2-1 victory over the Carleton Ravens on Friday afternoon at Richardson Stadium.
Carleton took an early lead with a breakaway from Raven striker Jonni Okai (Ottawa). A soft chip over keeper Sean Martin-Courtright (Calgary) left the Gaels down by one.
Partway through the first half, Klemencic found the back of the net to tie the game scoring on a strong shot through traffic. The later minutes of the first half allowed the Gaels to show their offensive pressure with five corner kicks.
In the second half, the game was a virtual stale mate with Klemencic scoring in the final minutes of the game, tapping a loose ball over the goal line.
RYERSON 0, NIPISSING 0
At Ryerson, on a cold night at BMO Field, the Rams played to a scoreless draw against the visiting Nipissing Lakers (2-5-5) on Friday.
Rams midfielder Hugo Fernandes (Toronto) had a number of chances in the second half including Ryerson's best scoring chance of the night when he snuck in behind Nipissing's defence, cradled the pass, and fired the ball on net. It took an amazing save by Lakers goalkeeper Cory Schwartz (Owen Sound, Ont.), who slammed his hand down on the ball just in time, to keep the game scoreless. Ryerson continued to pressure Nipissing for most of the half but couldn't solve Schwartz.
On the Rams side of the field, the defence wasn't as busy but continued to play well when pressed. Nipissing forward Thomas Duncan (Lindsay, Ont.) had an opportunity to score, carrying the ball deep into Ryerson territory before Robert Galati (Toronto) came up with a solid defensive play before Duncan could get his shot off. The Lakers best chance in the half came when Chris van de Hoef (Callander, Ont.) used some fancy footwork to travel deep into the Rams territory. It was Galati who once again came up with a big stop before Nipissing could put a shot on net. Galati had a very strong game for the Rams before leaving with an injury late in the second half.
A late offensive push by Ryerson was unsuccessful and the final whistle blew with the game tied at zero.
RYERSON 2, LAURENTIAN 1
At Ryerson, the Laurentian Voyageurs lost 2-1 to the Rams on Saturday. Davor Alisic (Charlottetown) scored the lone Voyageurs goal. Scott Cliff (Hanmer, Ont.) tended goal for the Voyageurs in the loss.
In the first half the Voyageurs (6-5-1) battled hard leading to some quality chances. With time winding down in the first half, Alisic found the back of the net to put the Voyageurs up 1-0. Just before time expired, Laurentian had another good chance but hit the goal post. The half would come to a close with the Voyageurs up 1-0.
The Voyageurs came out pressing in the second half looking for an insurance goal. Laurentian had a great chance early on but it bounced off the crossbar over the net. In a span of 15 minutes Ryerson connected on two corner kicks to take the lead 2-1. Laurentian pressed hard for the equalizer but would come up empty handed as the final score would be 2-1 for Ryerson (4-4-5).
CARLETON 3, RMC 1
At RMC, the Carleton Ravens (6-5-2) defeated the Royal Military College Paladins 3-1 on Saturday.
The Ravens withstood a strong first half by the hometown Paladins as Gregory Theriau (Kentville, Ont.) opened the scoring giving RMC a one-goal lead at halftime. The Paladins goalkeeper Jhordan Dorrington (Mississauga, Ont.) made four saves in the first half to keep his Paladins in the lead.
Carleton owned the second half, as Joey Kewin (London, Ont.), Sam McHugh (Ottawa) and Caki Simrooglu (Izmir, Turkey) all scored within a 20 minute span to put the game out of reach. The Ravens veteran all-star goalkeeper Karl Wasslen (Ottawa) made his season debut by making six saves to earn his first victory of the 2009 campaign.
WINDSOR 1, MCMASTER 0
At McMaster, the Windsor Lancers started the weekend with an impressive 1-0 win over the Marauders on Saturday.
The first half was well played as both teams moved the ball effectively and had chances to score on the opposition.
In the second half, Windsor would turn up their intensity as Eric Cirovski (Windsor, Ont.) received a great pass and converted the only goal of the game to give his team the victory.
Lancer goalkeeper Dan Mendoca (London, Ont.) had another strong game in goal as he earned the shutout.
WESTERN 2, BROCK 2
At Brock, the Badgers and Western Mustangs battled to a 2-2 draw on Saturday.
Scoring goals for the Mustangs were Mike Sawchuk and Eric Amato. Responding for the Badgers were Aldo Lombardi and Tomislav Leko.
WINDSOR 1, BROCK 0
At Brock, the Windsor Lancers (7-1-4) travelled up to St. Catharines as they defeated the Brock Badgers 1-0 to earn the weekend sweep on Sunday.
Ian Osei Owusu (Kumasi, Ghana) scored in the 69th minute to give the Lancers the victory.
Dan Mendonca (London, Ont.) had another incredible day for Windsor, as he made 12 spectacular saves to halt a surging Brock (1-9-2) offence and earn his second shutout of the weekend.
That win gave the Lancer goalkeeper seven shutouts on the season which ties the Lancer record for most shutouts in a season.
YORK 4, WATERLOO 0
At York, the No. 3 Lions faced off against Waterloo (4-5-3) for the second time this season, defeating the Warriors 4-0 on Sunday at York Stadium.
The Lions (8-2-2) dominated the play with a bulk of the possession in the first half, leading to a goal from Stefan Zlatanov (Scarborough, Ont.) with an assist from Andrea Lombardo (Toronto) in the 25th minute.
The second half saw a renewed attack from the Lions, and three more goals by Adrian Pena (Woodbridge, Ont.), Francesco Bruno (Toronto) and Dominic Antonini (Winnipeg, Man.). This game made up goalkeeper Alim Karim's (Scarborough, Ont.) seventh shutout of the season, and the Lions' eighth consecutive win.
GUELPH 2, LAURIER 1
At Guelph, the No. 10 Gryphons (6-5-1) played against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (3-5-4) for the second time this season at Alumni Stadium on Sunday. The Gryphons banked a 2-1 win after a suspenseful last few minutes.
The Gryphons first goal was scored only four minutes into the game by Arthur Berlin (Aurora, Ont.), after he sneaked up the right side of the field and fired a shot into the back of the net. Frankie Luzi (Guelph, Ont.) scored Guelph's second goal in the last few minutes of the game. Laurier's only goal came in injury time.
TRENT 1, RMC 1
At RMC, the Trent Excalibur (2-8-2) tied the Paladins 1-1 on Sunday.
The game was a scoreless draw until the 82nd minute, when Colin O'Rourke broke the deadlock to give RMC a 1-0 lead.
It did not last long as one minute later, Keegan Muldoon responded for Trent.
RMC remains winless at 0-8-3.
MCMASTER 1, WESTERN 0
At McMaster, the Marauders (6-6-0) earned a 1-0 home win against the Western Mustangs (3-5-4).
Garret McConville scored the game's lone goal for the Marauders.
Source: Toronto Varsity Blues, Queen's Gaels, Ryerson Rams, Carleton Ravens, Windsor Lancers, York Lions, Guelph Gryphons
The Saturday contest began with some tough physical confrontations as both teams looked to impose their presence on the field.
The Blues forward line combination of Nordo Gooden (Kingston, Jamaica) and Toronto native Alexander Raphael took the play to the Voyageurs defence and their continued pressure eventually led to vulnerability in the back line. This resulted in an excellent opportunity for Dylan Bams (Fanny Bay B.C.), who nailed a shot off the crossbar in the 14th minute.
Gooden continued the pressure, making a quick run down the left side and sending a dangerous cross toward goal that was safely taken by Voyageurs keeper Scott Cliff (Hanmer, Ont.).
The visitors created some offence of their own in the 20th minute as Sudbury native Rudy Muteba kicked a hard shot low that forced John Smits (Mississauga, Ont.) to make an outstanding diving stop.
Raphael sent a strong ball in to Gooden but the fourth-year player could not muster enough power on his shot to get it past Cliff. After an excellent pass reception, Raphael wound his way through the opposing defence and sent a pass to the opposite post. Gooden charged in and would not be denied again as he sent a wonderful sliding tip into the back of the net putting the Blues up 1-0 going into half time.
Gooden picked up right where he left off, scoring his second of the match only a couple of minutes into the second half. Cliff came way off his line, allowing Gooden to place the ball past him in the low left corner.
Although both teams exchanged chances throughout the half, neither side managed to find the net again - the final score would remain 2-0.
Smits made three saves to preserve the shutout for the Blues and Gooden moves into share of the team scoring lead with Raphael as both players have six goals on the season.
On Sunday, Gooden had an excellent first half, consistently causing trouble in the Lakers defensive end. His creative playmaking resulted in a lovely goal in the 15th minute that he both started and finished. The fourth-year player sent a long through ball to Scarborough native Raphael on the baseline. Raphael then passed the ball to Seung Bok Lee (North York, Ont.), who found an open Gooden in front of the net for the wonderful finish, putting the Blues up 1-0.
After another excellent ball from Gooden, Geoffrey Borgmann (Dixie, Ont.) made a square pass across the front of the net to Bams. The Fanny Bay, B.C. native launched an absolute rocket that beat Lakers goalkeeper Cory Schwartz (Owen Sound, Ont.) but ricocheted off the high upright and out of danger.
Although Nipissing was awarded four corner kicks in the opening half, they could not find the goal and the score would remain 1-0 going into halftime.
The Varsity Blues would take over the game in the second half, winning nine corner kicks and bombarding the Lakers defence.
Mississauga native Federico Vaccaro was left with an open shot off a corner kick, however, released the ball wide of the net. Only moments later, Michael Prouse (Scarborough, Ont.) received a pass off a free kick and rifled a hard shot that was well saved by Schwartz. The Owen Sound, Ont. native had to remain solid, robbing Gooden not once, but twice, as the Blues continued to dominate the play.
Nipissing spent most of the half defending and were unable to muster much of an offensive threat, as the Blues would take the victory by a score of 1-0.
Schwartz was a standout player for the Lakers, making seven saves in the loss, while Nordo Gooden moved into a tie for first place in the OUA scoring lead, after tallying seven goals in 13 games.
The Varsity Blues move to a record of 10-1-2 on the season and continue to lead the OUA East with 32 points.
QUEEN'S 2, CARLETON 1
At Queen's, Nathan Klemencic (Trenton Ont.) handled all the scoring for the host Gaels (7-1-4) in a 2-1 victory over the Carleton Ravens on Friday afternoon at Richardson Stadium.
Carleton took an early lead with a breakaway from Raven striker Jonni Okai (Ottawa). A soft chip over keeper Sean Martin-Courtright (Calgary) left the Gaels down by one.
Partway through the first half, Klemencic found the back of the net to tie the game scoring on a strong shot through traffic. The later minutes of the first half allowed the Gaels to show their offensive pressure with five corner kicks.
In the second half, the game was a virtual stale mate with Klemencic scoring in the final minutes of the game, tapping a loose ball over the goal line.
RYERSON 0, NIPISSING 0
At Ryerson, on a cold night at BMO Field, the Rams played to a scoreless draw against the visiting Nipissing Lakers (2-5-5) on Friday.
Rams midfielder Hugo Fernandes (Toronto) had a number of chances in the second half including Ryerson's best scoring chance of the night when he snuck in behind Nipissing's defence, cradled the pass, and fired the ball on net. It took an amazing save by Lakers goalkeeper Cory Schwartz (Owen Sound, Ont.), who slammed his hand down on the ball just in time, to keep the game scoreless. Ryerson continued to pressure Nipissing for most of the half but couldn't solve Schwartz.
On the Rams side of the field, the defence wasn't as busy but continued to play well when pressed. Nipissing forward Thomas Duncan (Lindsay, Ont.) had an opportunity to score, carrying the ball deep into Ryerson territory before Robert Galati (Toronto) came up with a solid defensive play before Duncan could get his shot off. The Lakers best chance in the half came when Chris van de Hoef (Callander, Ont.) used some fancy footwork to travel deep into the Rams territory. It was Galati who once again came up with a big stop before Nipissing could put a shot on net. Galati had a very strong game for the Rams before leaving with an injury late in the second half.
A late offensive push by Ryerson was unsuccessful and the final whistle blew with the game tied at zero.
RYERSON 2, LAURENTIAN 1
At Ryerson, the Laurentian Voyageurs lost 2-1 to the Rams on Saturday. Davor Alisic (Charlottetown) scored the lone Voyageurs goal. Scott Cliff (Hanmer, Ont.) tended goal for the Voyageurs in the loss.
In the first half the Voyageurs (6-5-1) battled hard leading to some quality chances. With time winding down in the first half, Alisic found the back of the net to put the Voyageurs up 1-0. Just before time expired, Laurentian had another good chance but hit the goal post. The half would come to a close with the Voyageurs up 1-0.
The Voyageurs came out pressing in the second half looking for an insurance goal. Laurentian had a great chance early on but it bounced off the crossbar over the net. In a span of 15 minutes Ryerson connected on two corner kicks to take the lead 2-1. Laurentian pressed hard for the equalizer but would come up empty handed as the final score would be 2-1 for Ryerson (4-4-5).
CARLETON 3, RMC 1
At RMC, the Carleton Ravens (6-5-2) defeated the Royal Military College Paladins 3-1 on Saturday.
The Ravens withstood a strong first half by the hometown Paladins as Gregory Theriau (Kentville, Ont.) opened the scoring giving RMC a one-goal lead at halftime. The Paladins goalkeeper Jhordan Dorrington (Mississauga, Ont.) made four saves in the first half to keep his Paladins in the lead.
Carleton owned the second half, as Joey Kewin (London, Ont.), Sam McHugh (Ottawa) and Caki Simrooglu (Izmir, Turkey) all scored within a 20 minute span to put the game out of reach. The Ravens veteran all-star goalkeeper Karl Wasslen (Ottawa) made his season debut by making six saves to earn his first victory of the 2009 campaign.
WINDSOR 1, MCMASTER 0
At McMaster, the Windsor Lancers started the weekend with an impressive 1-0 win over the Marauders on Saturday.
The first half was well played as both teams moved the ball effectively and had chances to score on the opposition.
In the second half, Windsor would turn up their intensity as Eric Cirovski (Windsor, Ont.) received a great pass and converted the only goal of the game to give his team the victory.
Lancer goalkeeper Dan Mendoca (London, Ont.) had another strong game in goal as he earned the shutout.
WESTERN 2, BROCK 2
At Brock, the Badgers and Western Mustangs battled to a 2-2 draw on Saturday.
Scoring goals for the Mustangs were Mike Sawchuk and Eric Amato. Responding for the Badgers were Aldo Lombardi and Tomislav Leko.
WINDSOR 1, BROCK 0
At Brock, the Windsor Lancers (7-1-4) travelled up to St. Catharines as they defeated the Brock Badgers 1-0 to earn the weekend sweep on Sunday.
Ian Osei Owusu (Kumasi, Ghana) scored in the 69th minute to give the Lancers the victory.
Dan Mendonca (London, Ont.) had another incredible day for Windsor, as he made 12 spectacular saves to halt a surging Brock (1-9-2) offence and earn his second shutout of the weekend.
That win gave the Lancer goalkeeper seven shutouts on the season which ties the Lancer record for most shutouts in a season.
YORK 4, WATERLOO 0
At York, the No. 3 Lions faced off against Waterloo (4-5-3) for the second time this season, defeating the Warriors 4-0 on Sunday at York Stadium.
The Lions (8-2-2) dominated the play with a bulk of the possession in the first half, leading to a goal from Stefan Zlatanov (Scarborough, Ont.) with an assist from Andrea Lombardo (Toronto) in the 25th minute.
The second half saw a renewed attack from the Lions, and three more goals by Adrian Pena (Woodbridge, Ont.), Francesco Bruno (Toronto) and Dominic Antonini (Winnipeg, Man.). This game made up goalkeeper Alim Karim's (Scarborough, Ont.) seventh shutout of the season, and the Lions' eighth consecutive win.
GUELPH 2, LAURIER 1
At Guelph, the No. 10 Gryphons (6-5-1) played against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (3-5-4) for the second time this season at Alumni Stadium on Sunday. The Gryphons banked a 2-1 win after a suspenseful last few minutes.
The Gryphons first goal was scored only four minutes into the game by Arthur Berlin (Aurora, Ont.), after he sneaked up the right side of the field and fired a shot into the back of the net. Frankie Luzi (Guelph, Ont.) scored Guelph's second goal in the last few minutes of the game. Laurier's only goal came in injury time.
TRENT 1, RMC 1
At RMC, the Trent Excalibur (2-8-2) tied the Paladins 1-1 on Sunday.
The game was a scoreless draw until the 82nd minute, when Colin O'Rourke broke the deadlock to give RMC a 1-0 lead.
It did not last long as one minute later, Keegan Muldoon responded for Trent.
RMC remains winless at 0-8-3.
MCMASTER 1, WESTERN 0
At McMaster, the Marauders (6-6-0) earned a 1-0 home win against the Western Mustangs (3-5-4).
Garret McConville scored the game's lone goal for the Marauders.
Source: Toronto Varsity Blues, Queen's Gaels, Ryerson Rams, Carleton Ravens, Windsor Lancers, York Lions, Guelph Gryphons
