CIS women's soccer Wednesday roundup: Carleton, Guelph, McMaster and Toronto advance to OUA semi-finals

Source: Laurentian Sports Info

SUDBURY, Ont. – Hosting their first playoff game in 4 years, the Laurentian Lady Vees were looking to use home field to their advantage.  Unfortunately, the visiting Carleton Ravens had other ideas as they head back to Ottawa with a 3-1 victory.

The Ravens controlled the play for much of the first half, putting continuous pressure on the Lady Vees’ back line.  To their credit, Laurentian’s defence prevented any real scoring threat as they dug in and held their ground in their own third.  As the whistle sounded for half-time, the scoreboard read 0-0 and both teams looked to regroup to find a breakthrough.

Carleton struck first as a controversial tackle led to a kick from the spot for Sarah Royer who made no mistake and put the Ravens up 1-0 in the 68th minute.  Forced to press the issue, the Lady Vees sent bodies forward and created some chances but a beautiful volley on the counter attack from Carleton’s Nicole Filipow put the Ravens in front 2-0 in the 82nd minute.

The Lady Vees upped the pressure even more, pushing everyone forward to try and get back into the game in the final 8 minutes.  Their persistence paid off as, in the 88th minute, a handled ball inside the 18 yard box led to a penalty kick for Laurentian’s Amy-Lynn Pitton (Brampton, ON), who made no mistake and breathed life back into Laurentian’s post-season hopes.

Carleton’s Stephanie Sapienza quickly dashed those hopes off the ensuing kick-off as she got on the end of a through ball and chipped it over Laurentian’s keeper to go up 3-1.  The final whistle put an end to the Lady Vees’ season while Carleton moves on to the OUA East Semi-Final.

Despite the loss, the Lady Vees season was a fairly successful one and they will look to build off that as they head into the off-season and begin to prepare for next year.

Source: York Sports Info

TORONTO – Defender Lauren Hampton scored the game’s lone goal to lift the University of Guelph Gryphons women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the York University Lions in their first-round playoff game at McNaughton Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Hampton’s marker came in the 68th minute on a flurry of shots in front of the net. York goalkeeper Sarah Fiorini (Newmarket, Ont.) made a gorgeous save on a header that came into the box from a corner, but the rebound went straight to Hampton (Calgary) just in front of the goal line, and she fired the ball home.

The goal was part of a dominant second half by the Gryphons, who tallied a total of eight shots on goal in a 30-minute span after half-time.

Neither team was able to generate much offence in the first 45 minutes as some sloppy play from both sides led to plenty of passes at midfield but not much action near the nets. Guelph managed to get to shots on goal in the frame while the Lions were held off the scoresheet entirely.

But the Gryphons came out firing in the second and their efforts were rewarded with the goal. The Lions finally managed to generate an offensive attack in the last 15 minutes of the game and had multiple good scoring chances late, including a header that went just wide and a shot that Guelph goalkeeper Alexandra King (Ottawa) bobbled on the goal line, but could not find the back of the net.

King finished with the shutout, her sixth of the season, while Fiorini made nine saves in the loss.

Midfielder Rita Keimakh (Maple, Ont.) and striker Nour Ghoneim (Toronto) led the Lions with two shots each, while Jenny Dunn (West Vancouver, B.C.) and Erica Bain (Niagara Falls, Ont.) recorded three each for the Gryphons.

With the win, the fifth-seeded Gryphons advance to an OUA quarter-final game against the top-seeded Laurier Golden Hawks on Sunday afternoon in Waterloo, Ont. The winner of that match will advance to the OUA Final Four Championships the following weekend.

Source: McMaster Sports Info

HAMILTON, Ont. - The McMaster Marauders women's soccer team hosted the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday afternoon at Ron Joyce Stadium. The Marauders advanced to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win. 

It would take just three minutes for the home team to get on the board. Getting in UOIT's end early, a corner kick would result in a wide open chance for defender Kathleen Perri (Maple, Ont.). With a Marauder faking the pass and taking the Ridgeback defender with her, Perri's shot from 20 yards out would find the back of the net to give McMaster the go-ahead goal.

Minutes later, UOIT's first opportunity to score came from a big scramble near the net from a corner kick. The first shot would rebound to a Ridgeback, but the second would hit the cross bar. The ball would find a Marauder to clear it out.

Before the half was up, at around the 41st minute mark Emma Mangiarlardi (Oakville, Ont.) had a solid chance in the box but UOIT goalkeeper Melissa Linton (Cobourg, Ont.) would make a great save to keep the score at 1-0. 

Despite some early pressure from the Ridgebacks early in the second half, it would be McMaster to score again. Mangialardi would get taken down in the box, awarding the Marauders with a penalty kick. Captain Mel Van Der Hoop (Oakville, Ont.) would make no mistake, finding the top right corner for the 2-0 lead. This is her fourth goal this season in the 60th minute. 

Just five minutes later, Ridgeback Sarah D'Addetta (Etobicoke, Ont.) would receive the ball on the fall left side of the box. Her shot would unfortunately go off sweeper Cristina Leonardelli (Woodbridge, Ont.) and in on the miscommunication between her and McMaster goalkeeper Brittany Duffey (Unionville, Ont.). 

The play would turn sloppy as both teams were working hard to the end of the match. UOIT's only other chance would come from Jessica Mithrush (Thunder Bay, Ont.) from 30 yards out but the ball would soar over the cross bar. 

McMaster now moves on to the OUA Quarter-finals as they travel to London to take on the Western Mustangs who finished with the same record as the Marauders in the regular season. Game time is at 1pm at TD Waterhouse Stadium. 

Over the two games this season that the Marauders faced the Mustangs, they were defeated 2-0, but would then get revenge in the last game of the season, winning 1-0.

Source: Toronto Sports Info

TORONTO - Rookie striker LaShaunna Harper scored four goals in leading the Varsity Blues to a dominant 5-0 win over the RMC Paladins in OUA women's soccer playoff action on Wednesday night (Oct. 24) at Varsity Centre.

With the win, the Blues advance to the OUA quarter-final round and will travel to Kingston, Ont., this Sunday, October 28 to take on the second-seeded Queen's Gaels. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

The Blues dominated the first half, peppering RMC keeper Olivia Clarke (Caldeon East, Ont.) with shots in the early goings. Harper opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when she booted the ball over Clarke's head and into the net.

The Toronto native struck again just four minutes later, sending a low, hard shot into the bottom right corner of the net. Veteran striker and West Vancouver, B.C., native Mel Bowen put the Blues up 3-0 before the half when she ripped a shot into the top left corner of the net.

Harper completed her hat trick performance early in the second half to put the Blues up 4-0. The first-year humanities major added her fourth of the game in the 56th minute.

Sophomore goalkeeper Sara Petrucci made one save in the shut out win.

The Varsity Blues went 1-0-1 with the Gaels during the regular season. The two teams played to a scoreless draw on Sept. 9 at Varsity Centre before the Blues came away with a 3-1 win on Oct. 6 in Kingston.