W-Soccer Roundup: Ottawa, Carleton and Western off to undefeated starts

Sept. 2 Brock @ York

The York University Lions women's soccer team opened the home portion of the 2013 season with a scoreless tie against the Brock Badgers on Monday afternoon (Sept. 2) at the York Soccer Pitch.
 
The Lions dominated play for much of the contest but could not get the ball past Brock rookie goalkeeper Jenna Vasiliaskas (Burlington, Ont.). They fired 12 shots at the net, led by four shots from third-year defender Shannon Wood (Brampton, Ont.), but Vasiliaskas stopped all five shots she faced to preserve the shutout.
 
At the other end of the pitch, Lions fifth-year 'keeper Sarah Fiorini (Newmarket, Ont.) stopped two shots for her first shutout of the season.
 
In addition to Wood's four shots, Navneet Aujla (Brampton, Ont.), Peyton Lozzi (King City, Ont.) and Sarah Wong (Toronto) each had two shots on goal. Both of Brock's shots came from defender Kelly Miller (Brantford, Ont.).
 
The Lions, who are still looking for their first win of the season after a 0-1-1 start, will be in action again on Saturday (Sept. 7) when they travel to Guelph, Ont., to face the Gryphons in a game beginning at 1 p.m. at the Gryphon Soccer Complex. Their next home contest is against the Western Mustangs the following day beginning at 1 p.m. at York Stadium.

Source: York Sports Info

Sept. 1 Ottawa @ Toronto

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's soccer team fell 3-1 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sunday, Sept. 1 at Varsity Centre.
 
With the loss, the Blues drop to 0-2 after Week 1 of OUA soccer action, while Ottawa improves to 2-0 after defeating Ryerson 2-0 yesterday.
 
Third-year striker Pilar Khoury (Ottawa) opened the scoring when she sent a shot past Blues goalkeeper Sara Petrucci (Bolton, Ont.) in the third minute of play.
 
Blues team captain and fourth-year striker Aisha Lewis (Mississauga, Ont.) went onto even the score in the 42nd minute as she found herself alone in front of the Gee-Gees net and made no mistake in burying her chance.
 
The game was deadlocked at 1-1 at the half.
 
Fifth-year midfielder Corina Jarrett notched the eventual game-winner in the 60th minute when she jumped on a second rebound in front of the net. The Ottawa native added an insurance marker for the Gee-Gees in the 84th minute to secure the 3-1 victory.
 
The Varsity Blues return to the field next Saturday, Sept. 7 when they host the Nipissing Lakers at Varsity Centre. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

Source: Toronto Sports Info

Laurier @  Waterloo

The Waterloo Warriors women's soccer team fell 2-0 to their crosstown rivals, Laurier Golden Hawks at home on Sunday afternoon.

Waterloo put together a hard-nosed opening 45 minutes of action against a talented Golden Hawks squad, but could not convert for a goal.  The best chance of the opening half came off the foot of Eugenia Acosta (Cambridge), but she was turned aside by Laurier keeper Katrina Ward.  At the other end, Warrior netminder Lesia Bandura (Kitchener) was stellar for the home side turning away all six shots faced.

The consistent pressure by the visiting Hawks would pay off at the 58^th minute on a couple of fortunate bounces following a corner.  Jacqueline Lence would be the beneficiary of the final bounce and would be credited with the opening marker.

Laurier padded their lead 14 minutes later as Jessica Craig fired a shot past a helpless Bandura to secure the 2-0 victory.  Bandura was without a doubt the Warrior of the match with nine quality saves throughout the match.  Ward was less busy for the Hawks only having to make two stops.

The Warriors will be back at it next weekend with a big contest on Saturday for black and gold day.  Over 1,000 fans are expected to attend Waterloo's match on Sept. 7 against the McMaster Marauders.

Source: Waterloo Sports Info

Windsor @ Western

LONDON, Ont. – A hat trick from Lauren Winquist helped propel the Western Mustangs women's soccer team to a 6-0 victory over the Windsor Lancers on Sunday afternoon at TD Stadium.
 
"It was a great first half, we scored four and had a few other chances," said Mustangs head coach Martin Painter. "I thought our movement up front was excellent and saw some confidence and chemistry start to come between the players. It was a great performance."
 
With the win the Mustangs finish the season's opening weekend with a perfect 2-0 record after downing the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday. The Lancers split their first two games of 2013, defeating the York Lions in their first matchup of the year.
 
Winquist led the Mustangs offence on Sunday, picking up her first three goals of the season. The second-year player netted goals at the 20, 37, and 62 minute marks in the victory. For the second consecutive game Amanda Boyle opened the scoring, getting the offence started only 15 minutes into the first half while Paige Howard and Becca Jefferson each provided goals.
 
Tori Edgar recorded her second shutout in two days in the Western net while Tara Benard-Rae took the loss for Windsor.
 
Although only two games into the new season coach Painter says that the team can build off of their strong play on opening weekend.
 
"The main thing is we can build some momentum and confidence, and have some belief as a team and have some players who are starting to say that they can really perform at this level.
 
"We know it's going to be a long road, it's just two games in, but to start with two wins, two clean sheets, and two good performances, we're really happy."
 
The Mustangs are back in action on Sept. 7 when they host the UOIT Ridgebacks at TD Stadium. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.

Source: Western Sports Info

McMaster @ Guelph

The Guelph Gryphons women's soccer team started their 2013 regular season off strong, beating the McMaster Marauders by a final score of 2-0 this afternoon at the Gryphon Soccer complex.
 
The Gryphons dominated the start of the game, outrunning McMaster on a variety of different plays. The game became very physical quickly with McMaster earning a yellow card for a delayed hit. Despite the physicality of the McMaster squad, Guelph was able to pull ahead early, when Courtney Whiteside scored a goal in the 14th minute of the game. Erica Bain sent a beautiful ball to Whiteside inside the 18 yard box, who then beat her defender and sent the ball right past McMaster's goalie.
 
The Gryphons came close again in the first half, with the ball finding the net on a shot from Jennifer Dunn. Instead the play was called offside and did not count. In the first half Guelph tallied more opportunities with shots and free kicks, but they were unable to utilize any of them.  
 
The pace of the second half was slower, as the Gryphons dictated the play and allowed more time for passing and opening up the field. McMaster appeared determined to get points on the board, but instead the game picked up for the Gryphons when Alexandra Harriss scored bringing the score to 2-0 in the 86th minute. Gryphon goalie Alexandra King made some key saves throughout the second half to keep Guelph in the lead. Overall, the Marauders had 10 shots on goal, none of which were successful thanks to stellar goaltending from King. 
 
The Gryphons play the UOIT Ridgebacks Wednesday, Sept. 4 in Oshawa at 8:00 p.m.

Source: Guelph Sports Info

Nipissing @ Trent

The Nipissing Lakers women’s soccer team opened up their season with a 3-1 victory over the Trent Excalibur Sunday afternoon.

Fourth-year midfielder Sara Dorval (Thunder Bay)  notched her first goal of the season to open the scoring at the 26 minute mark. Rookie striker Caroline Kovacs (Schomberg)  made an immediate impact by scoring her first OUA goal at the 33 minute mark.

The first half would end with the Lakers leading 2-0.

Trent would get one back early in the second half as Sydney Soares found the back of the mesh to bring the Excalibur within a goal. The score would remain the same until the 85th minute when Kovacs potted her second of the day sealing the victory for the Lakers. Rookie goalie Carlie Bennard (Burlington) also notched her first victory in her OUA debut.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Lakers as they will host their Northern rivals the Laurentian Voyageurs in their home debut Tuesday Sept. 3rd beginning at 5 p.m. on the Education Centre Field.

Source: Nipissing Sports Info

Carleton @ Ryerson

TORONTO – The Ryerson Rams women’s soccer team dropped to 0-2-0 on the season after a late goal in the 87th minute broke a 1-1 tie and gave the visiting Carleton Ravens a 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Aug. 30 Queen's @ RMC

KINGSTON, Ont. - The Queen's Gaels (1-0) women's soccer team bested their cross-town rival the RMC Paladins (0-1) 1-0 in their season opener Saturday night at RMC.

The Gaels rookie striker Tara Bartram (Vancouver, B.C.) got Queen's on the board with her first career CIS goal at the 20 minute mark. Queen's managed to hang on from there on out to preserve the 1-0 shutout.

Queen's outshot RMC 11-6 in the match and the Gaels keeper Madison Tyrell (White Rock, B.C.) got the clean sheet on the night stopping all six RMC shots.

Next up for the Gaels is their home opener on Wenesday when they host the Carleton Ravens at 5:30pm on West Campus Turf Field. RMC will next host Ottawa on Wednesday night in Kingston.

Source: Queen's Sports Info

Carleton @ Toronto

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's soccer team opened their 2013 regular season campaign with a 2-0 loss to the Carleton Ravens on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Varsity Centre.
 
The game started as a back-and-forth battle, with both teams registering chances to score. It was the Ravens who got on the board first, when Adrianna Ruggiero (Markham, Ont.) sent a cross to Abby Nicastro (Ottawa), who fired the ball into the top corner of the net in the 33rd minute.
 
Carleton extended their lead to two just before the half as third-year striker Sarah Royer of Lethbridge, Alta., sent a booming free kick past Blues goalkeeper Sara Petrucci (Bolton, Ont.) in the 44th minute.
 
The Blues put the pressure on in the second half and had their best chance to score when a Christine Mulligan header rang off the cross bar in the 66th minute.

Source: Toronto Sports Info

Brock @ UOIT

The Brock Badgers and UOIT Ridgebacks both opened their seasons with a 0-0 draw on Saturday afternoon at UOIT.

Freshman goalkeeper Alexa Jackman (Niagara Falls, Ont.) played outstanding in her Badgers debut earning Player of the Game honours. She turned aside all eight shots she faced including stopping back-to-back breakaways in the second half to keep the game deadlocked at 0-0.

In the midfield, the trio of junior Cailyn Durish (Welland, Ont.), freshman Kara Ross (St. Catharines, Ont.) and freshman Alana Wong (Mississauga, Ont.) played a strong game creating a number of scoring opportunities.

"It was a very confident display for her first OUA start in goal," said Brock head coach John Durish. "Our young team played well and we continue to improve each game. We played well as a unit and were able to create opportunities to score. This point was well earned."

Source: Brock Athletics

Waterloo @ Western

LONDON, Ont. – A first-half goal by Amanda Boyle gave the Western Mustangs women's soccer team a lead they would never relinquish, defeating the Waterloo Warriors 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at TD Stadium.
 
"Overall it was a good performance, a good win for three points," said Mustangs head coach Martin Painter. "Second half I think our energy sagged a little bit which is something we'll have to address, but first half there were some really good moments and for a first game with a young team I'm really happy to get the win."
 
Saturday's matchup was the regular season opener for both teams, although the Mustangs had already played in four exhibition matches this season, including hosting a pair of games as part of the Old Four Tournament last weekend.
 
Western dominated the play throughout the first half, keeping the ball contained in the Waterloo end and generating numerous scoring chances. Boyle put the Mustangs ahead in the 31st minute sneaking the ball into the net following a corner kick. Adrianna Giuffre added the game's other goal at the 76 minute mark, grabbing a rebound off the crossbar and putting it away to give Western a 2-0 victory.
 
Tori Edgar got the shutout win for the Mustangs, while Lesia Bandura put in a strong performance for Waterloo in the loss.
 
With game one in the record books Western now gets set for the second part of opening weekend, facing Windsor on Sunday afternoon.
 
"We'll have a chat about some of things we can adjust from today and really talk about how to get our energy and mental energy back up," said Painter about preparing for Sunday's game. "One of the difficulties with playing back-to-back games is there's a tendency after a win on the Saturday you come out a little complacent on the Sunday. We're just going to talk and hopefully the players will come out sharp tomorrow."

Source: Western Sports Info

York @ Windsor

WINDSOR, Ont.- The Windsor Lancers women's soccer team opened up their 2013 season on a winning note, defeating the York Lions 1-0 at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon.

Rookie forward Becca Fuerth sealed the victory in the 75th minute off of a rebound chance.

The first real chance of the game fell to the Lions when Sarah Wong went on a breakaway forcing Lancers keeper Tara Benard-Rae into an impressive save. Benard-Rae was also tested in the 18th minute and stood firm, keeping the score even through the early part of the contest.

The Lancers were out shot 7-2 at the end of the first half, but managed to escape the first 45 minutes even with the Lions at the break.

Tactical changes were made by both coaches, making for a more open and free flowing affair in the second half.

The Lancers came out strong and dominated play for the first ten minutes of the second frame.

"I think it was because we were working harder then the other side," explained Lancers coach Angelo Verardi.

Corinne Robinson (Dundas, Ont.) had a strong second half, creating issues on the left wing for the Lions defence. A 60th minute run into the box by Robinson caused havoc as the Lions struggled to clear the cross, but still the contest remained deadlocked.

However, the stalemate was finally broken in the 75th minute when the Lancers were awarded a free kick just outside the box.  A low, hard shot from Jaclyn Faraci (LaSalle, Ont.) produced a rebound off the hands of Fiorini, which Fuerth jumped all over to put the home team ahead.

The Lancers were then pegged back under heavy pressure from the Lions who were looking to tie the game. An 85th minute goal line clearance by Charlotte Svitter (Tecumseh, Ont.) solidified three points for the Lancers.

"To have them on a high is nice, we always tell them to enjoy the game, enjoy the win, and we go back to working hard tomorrow," said Verardi.

The Lancers are back at Alumni Field next weekend, when they will host Laurier and UOIT on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Source: Windsor Sports Info

Laurentian @ Trent

The Laurentian Voyageurs women's soccer team were able to secure their first victory of the season against the Trent Excalibur. Laurentian debuted a young squad in their season opener on Saturday, however pulled through with a 2-0 victory.

Laurentian opened the scoring early in the first half off a through ball from sophomore Gabrielle Conrad (Sudbury, ON) to forward Julie Lopez (Ottawa, ON). The Voyageurs controlled the play throughout the first half, maintaining possession in the opposing end and creating many opportunities. Celine Valiquette (Sault St Marie, ON) capitalized midway through the half, putting Laurentian up by two heading into the second.

The second half of the game started off slowly for both teams, however it picked up and the Voyageurs were able to create opportunities in the attacking end. While Laurentian had chances, they were unable to convert any other goals. At the opposite end, Trent was unable to find the net throughout the game, giving Richele Greenwood (Mississauga, ON) her first shutout of the season.

Source: Laurentian Sports Info

Ottawa @ Ryerson

TORONTO – The Ryerson Rams women’s soccer team opened their 2013 season on Saturday afternoon with a hard fought 2-0 loss to the defending OUA champion Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Krista Draycott (Ottawa, Ont.) opened the scoring for the visiting Gee-Gees in the 8th minute of play. A loose ball fell to her feet just outside the six yard box and she made no mistake, burying a strike to the right corner.

Faythe Lou (Surrey, B.C.) added a second goal for Ottawa in the 33rd minute after a misplayed ball in the goal box squirted out to the freshman who tapped it home.

Ryerson’s starting lineup featured seven freshmen and the team got stronger as the game went along. The Rams turned the table after halftime and created better scoring opportunities in the second half.

“I think some of the nerves (in the first half) came from our leadership, knowing last year we lost 6-0 in our opening game against Ottawa. There were a lot of jitters early on but we turned it around after our half time chat”, commented head coach Kevin Souter.

Despite not hitting the score sheet and only officially registering one shot on target, the Rams were able to create several scoring chances against a talented Ottawa squad in the second half.

Early in the second half Karena Evans (Pickering, Ont.) flashed through the middle of the Ottawa defence but could not corral a bouncing ball to finish in the box.

Two of the Rams best chances offensively came off set plays. In the 67th minute Sarah Slattery (St. Catharines, Ont.) connected for a header that sailed just wide of goal off a great free ball delivery from Nicole Paiva (Waterloo, Ont.) and with 16 minutes to go, Emma Abdul (Toronto) fired a strike just over the crossbar off a free kick from about 25 yards out.

Coach Kevin Souter was pleased with the effort from his squad

“It’s a good test for us and a good marker right off the bat”, said Souter when asked about playing such a strong opponent in the season opener. “To play a team that strong, this early, and to come out with so many positives in the second half means we can go into the next few games and into our season with a little bit more confidence.”

Source: Ryerson Sports Info

Aug. 30 Laurier @ McMaster

The McMaster women's soccer team opened the 2013 OUA season with a 0-0 draw against the Laurier Golden Hawks.

It was a short-handed group of Marauders that faced powerful Laurier, as the team lost one player to injury during the warm-up, and then saw stalwart defender Julia Maiolino go down in the first four minutes with a lower body injury.

Despite having to go into its bench, McMaster had the best early chance when Kelsey Orlando fired from 25-yards out and found the crossbar. Laurier almost grabbed the lead in the final minute of the opening half, but Mac keeper Brittany Duffey got a hand on a shot from Laurier's Julie Maheu and just deflected it over the bar.

The second half saw Mac's Sophia Ykema bail out her keeper by clearing a ball off the line, after Duffey was caught too far out of the net. In extra time the Hawks had a glorious chance but the ball again found the crossbar and stayed out, allowing the Marauders to gain the draw.

Source: McMaster Sports Info