Unlikely heroines lead Gee-Gees to first OUA East pennant since 2015
On Oct. 13, the Gee-Gees women’s soccer squad faced the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks at home for the first of two consecutive matches versus Durham region teams.
Sitting at third place in the OUA East standings, the Ridgebacks had managed to tie the Gees 1-1 earlier this season.
For the Garnet and Grey this one was an important potential preview, since UOIT could very well be their first-round opponents in the playoffs.
It was a tough game, with both teams battling hard for 90 minutes of mostly scoreless play.
It took a while before someone finally put points on the board, with Gee-Gees forward Delaney Rickert-Hall putting up the first and only score at the 56-minute mark to give them the 1-0 victory.
Stopping all five shots that came her way, Margot Shore registered another shutout on her way to another win.
The next match versus the Trent Excalibur was a somewhat different story, with more scoring coming from unlikely places.
Stepping on the field for only the fifth time this season on Oct. 14, Gee-Gees forward Sophie Curtis had not scored a goal in over a year.
But that changed when in the 22nd minute of play, Gee-Gees midfielder Mikayla Morton served Curtis a pass that she converted into a goal, giving the Garnet and Grey a 1-0 lead.
That wouldn’t be all for Curtis, who would score her second goal of the match in the 62nd minute to give the Gees a 3-0 lead.
Not even a minute later, Excalibur forward Emma Twohey would answer with a goal of her own to put Trent on the board, but the score would remain 3-1 for the Gees.
Lauren Da Luz, who scored the other goal for the U of O earlier in the match, noted how happy she was for Curtis.
“She really deserved those goals, she works very hard,” Da Luz said.
In his post-game comments, Gee-Gees head coach Steve Johnson commended the versatility of his players.
“I gave my regulars less time today to rest them and give a chance for other girls to shine, and they were really shiny today,” Johnson said.
The win guaranteed the U of O its spot atop the OUA East standings, with 25 points overall heading into the playoffs.
With only one weekend left in the regular season, the Gee-Gees will host both Kingston teams at home on Oct. 20 and 21, respectively. Both matches will start at 1 p.m at Gee-Gees Field, where they will take on the RMC Paladins on the first day and Queen’s Gaels on the second. Grab tickets here.
