“I’ve been practicing that free kick for months, so it’s nice to see it come in when it was important”
The Gee-Gees showed up and faced off against the University of Toronto this Wednesday at 6 p.m. The crowd’s favourite team showed their strength and precision with the first goal of the game within the first 10 minutes of the first half, leading to a Nibo Dlamini shot on goal, scoring her sixth goal this season.
The first half went tremendously well for the Ottawa team, with seven shots on goal and the majority of ball possession, placing their passes right where they needed them and, as always, showing off the cohesive style of play that they’re known for. A second goal would have reached the board by Cassandra Provost. However, an offside call was given, raising hope for the blue team and putting pressure on the Gee-Gees
As normal as it is, as a playoff game, the physicality could be seen since the first whistle, and numerous fouls have been given to the teams, one resulting in a penalty against the Garnet and Grey, providing a penalty kick to U of T, in which defender Hannah Chown scored a goal, tying up the scoreboard right before the halftime.
Starting the second half, the tensions were high, and the pressure was on; the energy was Palpable. With both Allana Oriente and Jenna Matsukubo being matched on speed and Toronto’s defence working extra time, the Gee-Gees felt every single “man on” said on the field.
However, U of O used this to their advantage and created more power plays. The Ottawa team had a direct kick right outside the area after a foul play; in this offensive maneuver, Dlamini placed the ball perfectly in the top right corner, batting her second goal of the game and her seventh of the season while, most importantly, obtaining the lead on the scoreboard.
The 2023 OUA First Team All-Star commented on what it means to contribute to the team’s only two goals.I’ve been practicing that free kick for months,” said the fourth year. “So it’s nice to see it come in when it was important. I’m so happy I can help my team get to the next stage.”
With 20 minutes left on the clock, Toronto showed up and competed for ball possession, moving the game onto Ottawa’s side of the field and securing their passes and sprints. However, it wasn’t enough because as their pressure started to fumble, Ottawa showed speed and persistence.
With the game’s physicality, as mentioned before, six minutes were added as extra time. The Gee-Gees were dominating the field, the ball and the crowd. The game demonstrated fierce soccer, precise teamwork, and long-expected results from a hardworking group of players, which gratified the Ottawa team with a win of 2-1 — ensuring their continuous run in the playoffs and that the next faceoff will be against Guelph.
Dlamini closed off her interview by commenting on how “the game felt great — we knew that Toronto was the only team who took points from us, so we wanted to prove ourselves that we could beat them, play against a team like them and score goals.”
The Gee-Gees and Gryphons will battle with a guaranteed spot in the U SPORTS national championships on the line Saturday at noon on Matt Anthony.
