“It was crucial for us to win this game and scoring like that is amazing”
It was derby day on Saturday as the mighty Gee-Gees women’s soccer team matched up against the rivaling Carleton Ravens. The Gees went into the game 8-1 on the season against a struggling Ravens team at 4-3-2.
Gees striker Cassandra Provost would end as the lone goalscorer as she led her team over the Ravens in a historic match. Provost now holds the Gee-Gees program record for regular season goals at 59, doing so in a year less time than the previous record holder Pilar Khoury.
First Half:
The Gees as always played a tame style of soccer, generating space through their defensive line to play the ball outside to the wingers. Veteran defenders Maya Smith and Tessa Frangione led the passing outlets for the Gees.
Nearing the half of the first half, midfielder Nibo Dlamini sent a lobbed through ball to offensive threat Provost who headed it just wide of the post. The play was a preview to her potential record breaking goal as Provost is now tied for the most regular season goals in the program’s history.
Carleton mirrored a similar defensive tactic used by the Toronto Varsity Blues against the Gees which was successful in holding off the generational offence of the Gees. The Ravens played a passive five-back defense, with close supporting midfielders.
In the last five minutes of the half Carleton had an extremely close shot, but the Gees would breathe a sigh of relief as it rang off the post. It would end up being a scoreless first half, and the Gees would have to plan on a new attack strategy to break the wall of Carleton.
Second Half:
It would not be long before the Gees started their offensive pressure. The legendary Provost received a cross from first-year Ava Donohue, getting over top of the Ravens defenders, heading the ball top left past the Carleton keeper to break the Gees program record.
She now has a record 59 goals in 42 career regular season games, she is truly a one of a kind player. The Gees were most definitely on the offensive prowl during the second half, the wingers Jenna Matsukubo and Alanna Oriente made several skillful runs, but were held off by the Ravens centre back Sophia Lewis.
The first substitution of the game came in the 72nd minute, when Gees winger Sabrina Mangiaracina was subbed on for Oriente. It was a relatively quiet second half for the Gees keeper Cassidy Joslin as the Ravens opted for a lone striker, and maintained the defensive five back. That was until the closing ten minutes of the game where Carleton put on the jets, forcing Joslin to make three crucial saves to keep the Gee’s lead intact.
With two minutes remaining Carleton was given a corner to potentially tie the game up, but fortunately for the Gees, the kick was unsuccessful and landed out of bounds. It would be the Gees taking the game with the lone scorer of Provost.
Provost spoke as the new record holder about the game. “I would like to get over 60, that would be a good goal for myself in the last two games. It was a really good game; they played really good defensively and it was hard breaking their line, we were [ready] to play against this type of game and I think we were better than them. It was a good game, a good pass [from Donohue], and a good header. It was crucial for us to win this game and scoring like that is amazing.”
The team has only two regular season games remaining, they will hit the road to finish off the season against the RMC Paladins Oct. 12, and finish with the mighty Queen’s Gaels Oct. 13.
