The Gee-Gees controlled possession and outshot Carleton 41-7, but the Ravens still squeaked out a tie.
The Gee-Gee women’s soccer squad remains undefeated on the season following a 0-0 tie to the Carleton Ravens this past Friday night.
Ottawa controlled the play at Matt Anthony field, outshooting the Ravens 41-7, including 26 shots on target. Despite the sheer volume of chances, a fantastic performance from Carleton goalkeeper Tyler Dukart, as well as a defensively focused strategy earned the Ravens a tie.
First Half
Carleton opened the match with possession, but it was Ottawa who quickly took charge. The Gee-Gees pushed the ball downfield, with suffocating midfield play that halted any advance for Ravens.
Though the early minutes of the game were spent in the Ravens’end, the Gee-Gees couldn’t produce any quality chances. Ottawa’s best opportunity came from third-year midfielder Celine Bensebaa’s corner kick, which was quickly cleared by Carleton’s defense.
It became apparent almost immediately that the Ravens weren’t exactly playing to win. Carleton parked the bus when faced with the undefeated Ottawa squad, keeping nearly all of their players back to support the defense.
The Gee-Gees still managed to pile on pressure, with the Ravens unable to clear the ball. Carleton finally caught a break with a long pass that brought possession into the Ottawa half.
Third-year defender Ava Donohue was up for Carleton’s challenge, breaking up several long passes and turning them into counterattacks for Ottawa.
When the Ravens finally got through the Gee-Gees defense, Laura Salgado was tested for the first time of the game. The third-year goaltender made several impressive saves, halting Carleton’s Ava Mills on a golden opportunity in the box.
Rallying around their keeper, the Gee-Gees pushed the ball back down the field.
Senior forward Gracie Somers made a handful of dangerous runs into the Carleton end, with running mates MaryLou Peladeau and Sabrina Mangiaracina creating great chances of their own in the box.
Despite these efforts, a combination of Dukarts’ heroics and her team playing so far back that they constantly outnumbered the Gee-Gees on defense allowed the Ravens to maintain their shutout going into the half.
Second Half
The Gee-Gees came out of the half with a vengeance. Second-year midfielder Erica Tsang hounded the Ravens’ backline, generating turnovers while Donohue continued to shut down any chances the Ravens had.
“We’ve played so many different teams at this point, we’ve seen different schemes. We know how to adjust ourselves, we read them and made the right changes,” said Donohue when asked about how the Gee-Gees were able to handle Carleton in the second half.
Bensebaa nearly opened the scoring with an impressive volley off of a pass into the box, but Dukart was there again to make a save. Only moments later, Somers nearly capitalized on a header which was cleared by the Ravens. The two were all over Carleton’s defense, totalling 8 shots on goal each.
Though the Gee-Gee’s dominated, it was nearly impossible to beat a team that was clearly playing for a tie. With essentially all 11 of the Ravens parked in their own zone, Ottawa’s offense couldn’t capitalize on rebounds or loose balls in the box, as they were quickly cleared by defenders. Carleton was so defensively focused that they managed to finish the match without a single corner kick.
The Gee-Gees pushed hard as time wound down, with Mangiaracina creating several golden opportunities that Dukart somehow got in front of. Most notably, the OUA’s leading goal scorer made a run all the way from the Gee-Gee zone, beating several Ravens defenders and taking a strong shot that Dukart turned aside.
In extra time, Ottawa earned themselves a free kick just outside the 18-yard box when one of Carleton’s defenders stopped a shot with her hand. Bensebaa then took the kick, beating both the Ravens’ wall and Dukart but missing just high.
The game ended with a score of 0-0, with the Gee-Gee’s having taken 41 shots to the Raven’s 7.
Looking Ahead
The Gee-Gees sit atop the standings in the OUA East with 5 wins and a tie. The squad will host the TMU Bold on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Matt Anthony field. The Bold have a record of 2 wins, a loss and 2 ties so far this season, sitting in 6th place in the OUA East. Ottawa, having consistently dominated TMU with a record of 27 wins to 5 losses, will look to continue their streak of success. Good luck Gee-Gees!
