September 11, 2006
OTTAWA HITS BACK AT PALADINS, WHILE MAC AND WLU TOP WEST
The No. 2 nationally-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees have showcased the firepower of a contender early and often this season. And with two more lopsided shut-out wins this past weekend on the heels of a disappointing 2-2 midweek draw with the RMC Paladins, the Gee-Gees have grabbed the overall lead in the OUA with 11 points from their first five matches. Second-year standout Katie Lugg provided some important offence in the victories scoring in the 65th minute of a 3-0 victory over the Trent Excalibur Saturday and then adding the winner in a 5-0 beating of the Paladins Sunday in a rematch of the 2-2 thriller earlier in the week.
Fourth-year striker Val May got things rolling against Trent with a goal just a couple minutes from the start of the match, before Lugg provided an insurance strike in the second half. Rookie Sara Bullock netted the first goal of her OUA career in the 83rd minute. Jessica Charron had the shut-out for Ottawa. While RMC had shocked the Gee-Gees with an injury-time goal just days earlier to salvage their first ever point against the powerful Ottawa side, the Paladins could do little against them in the return match. Lugg scored the first with Courtney Liscombe tallying to make it 2-0. May added her second of the weekend in the 57th minute before Wendy Donaldson and Marie-Claude Langlois scored in the latter part of the match to blow the score open. Katarina Vulic was in net for the Gee-Gees' second consecutive clean sheet.
Reigning East/West MVP Eilish McConville showed that she hasn't lost her scoring touch after an explosive performance in the Queen's Golden Gaels 5-3 win over Trent Friday. The fourth-year striker, who bagged 11 goals last season (second in the OUA), was unstoppable against the Excalibur, scoring four times to vault her atop the league scoring race. The Gaels capped a perfect weekend with a 2-0 win over the Carleton Ravens Sunday. Kaley Robinson and Laura Barker each scored their first goals of the season to lead Queen's to the shut-out win. Katie McKenna recorded the clean sheet.
The Toronto Varsity Blues stayed within three points of the Gee-Gees - with a game in hand - after manufacturing a 0-0 draw with the Laurentian Lady Vees Saturday and a 3-2 win over the Nipissing Lakers Sunday. Lindsay Lashley netted her second goal of the season in the Nippissing win, while rookie striker Melanie Seabra scored a pair to bring her season tally to three goals. Nicole O'Brien and Vanessa Baxter scored for the Lakers, who remain winless in four matches.
The Laurier Golden Hawks and McMaster Marauders both sit atop the West standings after each beginning the year with 2-0-2 records for eight points. Sabrina Wirz scored the winner in a 4-1 Laurier victory over the Guelph Gryphons Wednesday, with Lana Nisbet, Natalie Mancini and Stefanie Vescio also adding goals. Laurier picked up another point thanks to a late strike from Catherine Nutt in the 87th minute to draw the defending OUA champion York Lions 1-1 Sunday. Renata Dethomsis had opened the scoring for the Lions just seven minutes earlier.
McMaster secured four points overall this week, three of the coming from a big 1-0 victory over the No. 8 Western Mustangs Saturday at Brescia Field in London. With the match still goalless as added time approached, first-year striker Samantha Batten found the back of the net in the 85th minute to lead the Marauders to the win. Amy Holt had the clean sheet in goal. On Sunday, Mac traveled to Windsor and came away with a 1-1 draw. Jessie Doucette opened the scoring for Windsor but the visitors earned the draw when third-year striker Andrea Dunn got her first of the season.
Doucette's goal was her second of the weekend as she also tallied in Windsor's 2-1 loss to the Brock Badgers Saturday. Brock took a 1-0 lead in the opening half on a goal by Brittany MacIntosh and then extended the margin to two with veteran striker Stephanie De Boer's first of the season to clinch the Badgers' second win. Brock added another point Sunday with a goalless draw against Western to sit alone in second in the West behind the Mustangs and Golden Hawks.
The Lions have yet to drop a match in four starts abut after winning the OUA title last season, the champions have been unable to gain momentum with three draws and a single victory. The lone win came Thursday on the road in Waterloo as York pulled out a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half strike from fifth-year veteran April Noga. Aurelia Gumelia posted the shut-out for the Lions, her second in four games.
Elsewhere around the league, the Ryerson rams defeated Nipissing 3-2 Saturday and then dropped a 2-0 decision to the Lady Vees Sunday. Krista Pantin and Brittany MacMillan had the Laurentian goals.
Fourth-year striker Val May got things rolling against Trent with a goal just a couple minutes from the start of the match, before Lugg provided an insurance strike in the second half. Rookie Sara Bullock netted the first goal of her OUA career in the 83rd minute. Jessica Charron had the shut-out for Ottawa. While RMC had shocked the Gee-Gees with an injury-time goal just days earlier to salvage their first ever point against the powerful Ottawa side, the Paladins could do little against them in the return match. Lugg scored the first with Courtney Liscombe tallying to make it 2-0. May added her second of the weekend in the 57th minute before Wendy Donaldson and Marie-Claude Langlois scored in the latter part of the match to blow the score open. Katarina Vulic was in net for the Gee-Gees' second consecutive clean sheet.
Reigning East/West MVP Eilish McConville showed that she hasn't lost her scoring touch after an explosive performance in the Queen's Golden Gaels 5-3 win over Trent Friday. The fourth-year striker, who bagged 11 goals last season (second in the OUA), was unstoppable against the Excalibur, scoring four times to vault her atop the league scoring race. The Gaels capped a perfect weekend with a 2-0 win over the Carleton Ravens Sunday. Kaley Robinson and Laura Barker each scored their first goals of the season to lead Queen's to the shut-out win. Katie McKenna recorded the clean sheet.
The Toronto Varsity Blues stayed within three points of the Gee-Gees - with a game in hand - after manufacturing a 0-0 draw with the Laurentian Lady Vees Saturday and a 3-2 win over the Nipissing Lakers Sunday. Lindsay Lashley netted her second goal of the season in the Nippissing win, while rookie striker Melanie Seabra scored a pair to bring her season tally to three goals. Nicole O'Brien and Vanessa Baxter scored for the Lakers, who remain winless in four matches.
The Laurier Golden Hawks and McMaster Marauders both sit atop the West standings after each beginning the year with 2-0-2 records for eight points. Sabrina Wirz scored the winner in a 4-1 Laurier victory over the Guelph Gryphons Wednesday, with Lana Nisbet, Natalie Mancini and Stefanie Vescio also adding goals. Laurier picked up another point thanks to a late strike from Catherine Nutt in the 87th minute to draw the defending OUA champion York Lions 1-1 Sunday. Renata Dethomsis had opened the scoring for the Lions just seven minutes earlier.
McMaster secured four points overall this week, three of the coming from a big 1-0 victory over the No. 8 Western Mustangs Saturday at Brescia Field in London. With the match still goalless as added time approached, first-year striker Samantha Batten found the back of the net in the 85th minute to lead the Marauders to the win. Amy Holt had the clean sheet in goal. On Sunday, Mac traveled to Windsor and came away with a 1-1 draw. Jessie Doucette opened the scoring for Windsor but the visitors earned the draw when third-year striker Andrea Dunn got her first of the season.
Doucette's goal was her second of the weekend as she also tallied in Windsor's 2-1 loss to the Brock Badgers Saturday. Brock took a 1-0 lead in the opening half on a goal by Brittany MacIntosh and then extended the margin to two with veteran striker Stephanie De Boer's first of the season to clinch the Badgers' second win. Brock added another point Sunday with a goalless draw against Western to sit alone in second in the West behind the Mustangs and Golden Hawks.
The Lions have yet to drop a match in four starts abut after winning the OUA title last season, the champions have been unable to gain momentum with three draws and a single victory. The lone win came Thursday on the road in Waterloo as York pulled out a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half strike from fifth-year veteran April Noga. Aurelia Gumelia posted the shut-out for the Lions, her second in four games.
Elsewhere around the league, the Ryerson rams defeated Nipissing 3-2 Saturday and then dropped a 2-0 decision to the Lady Vees Sunday. Krista Pantin and Brittany MacMillan had the Laurentian goals.
