Gee-Gees finish road portion of their season undefeated
The University of Ottawa women’s soccer team improved their record to 8-1-1 with two wins against the Queen’s Gaels and RMC Paladins on Sept. 22 and 23, respectively.
The Gee-Gees laced up their cleats on the road for the last time this regular season in Kingston.
In the first game versus Queen’s, fourth-year centre Katherine Bearne opened up the scoring late in the first half, finding the back of the net in the 40th minute.
Later in the half, Ottawa native Thea Nour scored to give the Gee-Gees an insurance goal heading into the last few minutes of the match and seal the win at 2-0.
Margot Shore stopped all three shots she faced for the shutout, eventually being replaced by rookie keeper Hillary Damman.
“(The win) was huge, especially since they’ve eliminated us two years in a row from the playoffs,” Shore said. “So for returning vets like me, that’s a game we were looking forward to and wanted badly to win, and to win it with a shutout, and with minimal chances against us was awesome.’’
The momentum did not stop there, as the ladies in Garnet and Grey took on the last-place RMC Paladins at Navy Bay Field the next day, easily winning the game 5-0.
Veteran Miranda Smith led the way in the win with two goals and an assist, scoring at the 30- and 40-minute marks.
B.C. native Lauren Da Luz added two netters in the second half, while Mikayla Morton drew first blood for the Gees in the 25th minute.
It was a good game for us to test the depth of our bench and give some players, including me, a rest, and give a chance to young players to prove themselves. So it’s nice to come away with a dominant win,” Shore said.
For goalkeeper Damman, this game represented a chance for her to prove herself to her coach and teammates, and gain experience at the U Sports level.
Despite this, the Gee-Gees defenders proved too strong, and Damman ended up facing no shots at all from the Paladins throughout the entire match.
Meanwhile, RMC keeper Claudia Rosu faced 11 shots on goal, allowing five of those to go past her. Following that, RMC head coach Chad Beaulieu swapped in backup keeper Amanda Ales with 10 minutes to go in the match.
With the wins, the Gee-Gees retain their top spot in the Ontario University Athletics Eastern division.
They will now finally have a bye week, giving them a chance to enjoy the Panda Game on Sept. 29 before heading back to the pitch the following week.
The Garnet and Grey will take on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at 1 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Gee-Gees Field. They will then take on the Ryerson Rams on Oct. 7, also at 1 p.m. at home.
For tickets and more information, visit GeeGees.ca
