OUA playoff roundup: Nationalle-ranked teams all advance to final four

TORONTO - All four nationally-ranked teams defended their positions as members of the OUA elite by winning their quarter-final matches.

On a gusty day at York University, the quarter-final match between the No. 7 York Lions (11-2-1) and the McMaster Marauders (6-5-3) turned into a goalkeeping battle between York's Sarah Fiorini (Newmarket, Ont.) and McMaster's Michelle Spadafora (Dundas, Ont.). But it was the Lions who prevailed in a 2-1 shootout victory.

Both keepers faced numerous shots while dealing with strong winds.

The Lions opened the scoring off an Amy Otaki (Kanagawa, Japan) corner kick that found the foot of Navneet Aujla (Brampton, Ont.) who made no mistake, burying the ball in the back of the net to give York the lead.

In the 68th minute, the Marauders evened the score as Kirsten Lowe (Acton, Ont.) capitalized on York's defensive miscues.

After 90 minutes, the score remained tied at one apiece.

In overtime, York's Alicia Donaldson (Mississauga, Ont.) came close to winning it for the Lions with a deceptive shot that nearly bounced in, but Spadafora was able to make the save.

During the ensuing penalty-shots, York's Gina Kripotos (Vancouver) emerged as the hero, scoring her squad's fourth shootout goal to beat the Marauders in penalty-kicks by a score of 4-3.

By virtue of the win, the York Lions have earned the right to host this year's OUA Final Four tournament on Nov. 7-8. The Lions will face-off against the No. 5 Ottawa Gee-Gees in semi-final action on Nov. 7 at 11:30 a.m.

QUEEN'S 3, CARLETON 1

At Queen's, despite having home field advantage, the No. 2 Gaels (13-1-2) did not take to their usual pitch, Richardson Stadium, on Saturday for their quarter-final match. After referees deemed the field unplayable, the match was moved to nearby Tindall Field to be played. Despite the change in surface, the Gaels were able to beat the Carleton Ravens (6-8-2) by a score of 3-1.

It was the Ravens who got on the board first, thanks to a corner kick goal from Shayla LaVecchia (Ottawa) midway through the first-half.

The Gaels regrouped at half-time and dominated the second-half, scoring three goals.

Star rookie and free-kick specialist Riley Filion (Alexandria, Ont.) tied the match in the 59th minute off a set-piece at the top of the 18-yard box. Kelli Chamberlain (North Bay, Ont.) followed suit, scoring the game winner in the 74th minute. Standout senior Renee MacLellan (Kingston, Ont.) added the insurance marker on a breakaway goal minutes later.

The Gaels will take-on the No. 10 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday at York University in semifinal play. On the line is both a spot in the next day's OUA finals and a spot in the CIS championship tournament, to be held later this month at the University of Toronto.

OTTAWA 1, TORONTO 0

At Ottawa, the No. 6 Gee-Gees (11-2-3) didn't let windy conditions stop them from shutting out the host Toronto Varsity Blues (11-1-4) in quarter-final action on Saturday.

After a scoreless first-half, Ottawa's Tara Condos (Strathroy, Ont.) registered the game's first and only goal in the 54th minute.

With the win, the Gee-Gees move on to the OUA semifinals next weekend where they will take on the No. 9 York Lions.

While the Varsity Blues OUA season is over, the squad still has more soccer to play thanks to the fact that they are hosting the CIS championship tournament. The host team is provided with an automatic tournament berth.

LAURIER 2, BROCK 1

At Wilfrid Laurier, the Golden Hawks (9-3-2) pulled out a win against division-rivals, the Brock Badgers (7-4-3) on Saturday in Waterloo, Ont.

Laurier's leading goal-scorer Ali McKee (Bracebridge, Ont.) got the purple-and-gold on the board nine minutes into the first-half.

At the 45-minute mark, Brock's Alex Espisito (Mississauga, Ont.) capitalized on a rebound off of Laurier goalkeeper Tristin Vogel (Collingwood, Ont.) Thanks to Espisito's last-minute efforts, the teams headed into their change rooms locked up at one.

At the 55-minute mark, a long clearance from Laurier's Tania Pedron (Maple, Ont.) found the foot of McKee who delivered a cross to Heather Malizia (Burlington, Ont.) Malizia made no mistake, striking the ball into the back of the net for the game winner.

The Golden Hawks will square-off with the No. 3 Queen's Gaels on Saturday in an OUA semi-final match. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Source: OUA Communications with files from York Lions, Queen's Gaels, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks