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CIS women's soccer Wednesday roundup: No. 8 Gee-Gees shutout No. 3 Queen’s
Photo credit Ottawa Gee-Gees Athletics
No. 5 Laurier 3, Western 1 Final
LONDON, Ont. - Three first-half goals and constant pressure from Laurier cost the Western Mustangs a 3-1 decision, ending their four-game point streak at TD Waterhouse Stadium in women's soccer on Wednesday night.
The veteran-laden Laurier squad seemed to control the midfield. With excellent ball control and distribution, Tania Pedron of Maple, Ont. also helped to control the play through the middle of the field for the visiting Golden Hawks.
Courtney Stocks scored Western's lone goal in the fifth minute, with Heather Malizia tallying three times (7th, 18th and 33rd) for the Golden Hawks.
Mustangs goalkeeper Melanie Oberholzer made five saves in the loss.
Some defensive miscues cost the Mustangs twice on three first-half goals.
Pedron, a senior midfielder, helped to control the play in the middle of the field and set up all three first-half Laurier goals.
But it looked good for Western early when Stocks, a transfer from Texas, scored the opening goal on a nice volley just six minutes into the game after sneaking in behind the Laurier defence and taking an Erin Grand pass, turning and shooting low with precision past Katrina Ward to give Western the brief lead.
But Laurier responded after Pedron sent a ball to the left wing and Malizia scored her first goal two minutes after Western got on the board to tie the game, coming in unchallenged off the wing.
Western netminder Oberholzer came out to challenge and tried to cut the angle off, and she even caught a piece of Malizia's shot, but Laurier bounce allowed the ball to spring into the Western net, despite the efforts of two Mustangs fullbacks to keep it out.
Malizia took a great Pedron pass with Western's defence overcommitting and scored just over 10 minutes later on a breakaway beating Oberholzer one-on-one.
Taking a Pedron feed, striker Malazia scored third Laurier's third goal late in the half.
The Golden Hawks led 3-1 in the break.
Western started the second half with enthusiasm, but just over six minutes into the frame, Laurier nearly scored on a counterattack when Ali McKee of Bracebridge, Ont., took a nice pass from Malizia and put it just over the crossbar.
McKee just missed again on a nice ball up the wing but puts it just off Oberholzer's outstretched arm.
Western generated little offence in the second half, and Oberholzer gained her confidence and made a terrific, highlight-reel slide to take the ball away from McKee, showing her normal aggressive and strong play on the ball.
With just under 24 minutes left, Western launched a counterattack and Grand's shot went just wide of the net despite a nice setup.
Krista Cellucci missed on a shot that curled wide along the turf with just over 10 mintues remaining, deflecting off Oberholzer who cut the angle down well.
The Mustangs nearly score their second when Ginger Basnett just failed to connect with a Emily Maganja cross with about four minutes remaining. Ward, who made one save for the win, came off her line and got to the ball first for Laurier, and the ball rolled out of danger.
Western (4-4-2) remains in fourth place in the OUA West and still holds a home playoff game. The Mustangs travel to play at Waterloo on Oct. 9 at 1 p.m.
Source: Western Sports Info
No. 8 Ottawa 1, No. 3 Queen's 0 Final
The uOttawa women's soccer team braved the cool, wet weather; but would not be intimidated as they took on the No. 1 CIS Top Ten ranked Queen's University in OUA women's soccer action Wednesday night at Matt Anthony Field. The Gee-Gees edged the Gaels by a score of 1-0, and remain the only team to have beaten Queen's this season.
The first half was back and forth, as both teams exchanged possessions. Still, neither team was able to produce any substantial attack, or scoring opportunity. However, credit to the Gee-Gees for not sitting back against the country's number one offensive team.
The second half would prove to be a much different story. After Queen's hit the cross bar early in the half, the Gee-Gees would make them pay dearly for it. At the sixty minute mark, second-year striker Krysta Draycott, Ottawa, Ont., took an inbound pass from fifth-year midfielder Élise Desjardins, Cumberland, Ont., and exploded towards the Queen's net. Draycott displayed some amazing athletic ability to score as she hopped one defender; and then managed to split the Queen's last line of defence, and boot the ball past the goalkeeper for the winning goal.
"It feels great! Especially against Queen's, they are top in the league and so we needed to take those points away from them," said a smiling Krysta Draycott after the game when asked about her game winning goal.
Obviously pleased with his team's performance, head coach Steve Johnson talked about the ability of his team to shutdown the league's most potent offensive team: "We wanted to be able to be good at the back. They are a dangerous team, they have scored forty goals at this point in the year so they are clearly the offensive powerhouse in the CIS,"
"We did not sit back, we were still looking to get our chances. I thought we did perhaps our best job so far playing into our strikers. We were still looking to take our opportunities to attack; but as soon as we lost the ball, it was all about getting good defensive shape and making sure we were not giving up easy opportunities to Queen's."
Gee-Gees third-year goalkeeper Mélissa Pesant, Gatineau, Qué., picked up yet another shutout, her second versus Queen's, for a total of five on the season.
The Gee-Gees will now shift their focus to a pair of games this weekend as they travel to RMC (1-8-1 OUA) on Saturday, October 9, and host Trent (0-9-1 OUA) on Sunday, October 10 at Matt Anthony Field (SSN Canada).
Laval 3, Bishop's 1 Final
LENNOXVILLE, Que. - A goal late in the first half and one early in the second led the Laval Rouge et Or to 3-1 win over the Bishop's Gaiters in Quebec University Soccer League women's play tonight at Coulter Field. Gabrielle Verret led the Rouge et Or with a goal and an assist. The three Laval goals were too much for the Gaiters to handle, as Samantha Juraschka (Waterdown, Ont.) was the only Gaiter who found the back of the Laval net.
After a back-and-forth first half, the Rouge et Or got on the scoreboard in the 41st minute. A great pass up the middle by Caroline Collin sent Marwa Chebbi in alone, and Chebbi made an exceptional chip over an outstretched Molly Bucholtz (Peterborough, Ont.) in the Gaiters net. The Gaiters were able to establish solid offensive pressure during the half but were unable to capitalize.
The second half started off quickly for Laval, as Nydia Monrin-Rivest received a pass from Verret inside the 18-yard box and fired the ball into the corner of the net just inside the 47th minute. The Gaiters bounced back with Juraschka putting home a superb cross from Katie Wallace (Stanstead, Que.) in the 58th minute. Laval put a quick end to any hope of a comeback as Verret scored a minute later on a near carbon-copy of Monrin-Rivest's goal.
Bucholtz stood strong in the Bishop's net and held the Gaiters in the game early. She made 11 saves and earned the Gaiters' MVP of the game. Midfielder Marie-Claude Villeneuve took home MVP honors for Laval.
The Gaiters (1-6-1) return to action on Friday, October 15, as they will visit the McGill Martlets in Montreal. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Source: Bishop's Sports Info
