“Everyone was ready to leave it all on the field and put their body on the line”
On Sunday, the undefeated Gee-Gees — ranked second in the nation — and the undefeated Nippising Lakers faced off in the sweltering September heat in a game that was sure to be close as both teams looked to keep their undefeated status. After 90 minutes of top class soccer from both teams it was none other than the Gee-Gees who won the match 2-1 in a close and entertaining matchup.
First Half:
Early in the fifth minute, Gees goalkeeper Cassidy Joslin punched out the ball to fend off a cross threat from Nipissing. It was clear with the Nipissing offensive pressure that the Gees were not going to take the match lightly. Another fantastic block from the defense was made to force a corner, which was unsuccessful.
It would be the Gee’s Cassidy Provost who took a strike top bins in the 21st minute to put them on the board. However, just three minutes later, Nipissing would even the score at 1-1 and become first team to score against the Gees all season. Shortly after, the Nipissing goalkeeper made a costly tackle outside the box and was given a red card, which was shortly taken back and called a dropped ball for Nipissing.
As the game continued Nipissing proved to be a worthy opponent for the powerhouse Gees — though not as challenging as the refs however, as the Gees were getting called for offside over and over as the Nipissing defensive line would push up before their passes. After some more shots on goal nearing the end of the first half, the score remained tied 1-1.
Second Half:
The second half was a true skirmish between the two teams tied for first place. Gee-Gees captain Maya Smith fended off two Nipissing free kicks, clearing the ball from the danger zone. In the 65th minute, a scary collision between Provost and the Nipissing keeper caused Provost to go down, and to be taken out of the game.
In the 72nd minute, Gees winger Jenna Matsukubo took an ambitious chip shot from outside the box, almost beating the Nipissing keeper. The Gees were putting the pressure on, controlling the game with possession, corners, and shot attempts. The Gees made a breakout counter attack after a Nipissing corner, but the final through ball got intercepted by an impressive slide tackle from the Nipissing defense.
The 82-83rd minutes were an exciting and crucial part of the game, Nipissing forfeited a penalty kick after an unsuccessful tackle in the box, but as midfielder Nibo Dlamini stepped up to take the penalty, the Nipissing coach was furious and was given a yellow card.
Nothing could get in the way of Dlamini and her potential game winning goal; Calm under pressure as the clock winded down, Dlamini struck an absolute class penalty beating the keeper to the bottom left, putting the Gees up 2-1. Things got chippy between the two teams, and Gees striker Marie-Pierre Beaudoin was given a red card in the 88th minute after responding to the uncalled tackle of the Nipissing defense.
With the Gees down a player, they opted to park the bus for the remainder of the game to fend off Nipissing. As the time winded down, the Gees showcased textbook corner protection to waste time. Eventually holding off Nipissing despite being down a player, holding onto the lead to beat the undefeated Nipissing Lakers in a spectacular match-up.
The Gee-Gees stand alone as the only undefeated team left in the OUA, extending their winning streak to five. The Gee’s out-shot Nipissing 10-5, and held majority possession, being held back by a staggering nine offside calls against them.
First goal scorer Provost has six goals on the season and is now only five goals away from breaking the program record for career regular season goals! The game winning goal scorer Nibo Dlamini now has three goals, and three assists on the season.
“I really tried to just go blank,” Dlamini said when asked about her game-winning goal. “Especially being up there for a long time it’s easy to let your mind make you nervous so I knew I had to focus on keeping myself calm … even though the goalie went the right way I think I hit it with enough power to make it harder to stop … I think we deserved that win today because everyone left it out on the field and in tough games like this it really helps knowing everyone is working hard for each other.”
During the game, the Gee’s fended off the second best offence in the league. Their defence was coordinated, and led by none other than captain Maya Smith. Smith made several stellar tackles, and many clearances in the late game.
“It was definitely a tough game,” said Smith postgame. “Going into the game, we knew Nipissing was going to play a high line. Our plan was to play over Nipissing’s back line to have them running towards their goal. We knew going into this game that there would be offside calls that do not go our way, so we had to be prepared mentally, not to get frustrated easily.
Smith continued, “with such a tight game, with many stoppages, one of the most important things we needed was to stay switched on. It really showed when the ref made [Dlamini] wait a few minutes before taking her [penalty] —and still managing to put it in the back of the net. We knew that Nipissing was very strong offensively so it wasn’t going to be easy. The defensive line had to win their [one-on-one] battles individually and stay compact as a unit. Everyone was ready to leave it all on the field and put their body on the line.” Fantastic words from the captain.
The Gees return home for three games to face off against Toronto (Sept. 21), Toronto Metropolitan (Sept. 22), and finally, Nipissing (Sept. 27) who are surely looking for revenge from their last matchup.
