CIS women's soccer Sunday roundup: Gee-Gees, Capers complete undeafeated season

Source: Laurier Sports Info

WATERLOO, Ont. - Emily Brown of Waterloo, Ont., scored a hat-trick while Julie Maheu of Oakville, Ont., scored once and set up three other goals as the No. 6 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's soccer team dominated the Guelph Gryphons 5-1 to win their OUA Quarter-final matchup.

With the victory, Laurier advances to their fifth consecutive OUA Final Four tournament which will be hosted by the No. 1 Ottawa Gee-Gees next weekend.

"I thought we played with a lot of energy right from the start of the game," commented head coach Barry MacLean after the win. "We were very aggressive and composed and our finishing was superb in the first half. The performance in the opening half was as good as we've played all season."

Playing their final home gam e of the season in cold and wet conditions, Laurier gave their fans something to cheer about just four minutes in when Brown converted a rebound opportunity off a Maheu shot to get the Hawks on the board. Just five minutes later, Krista Cellucci of Mississauga, Ont., chipped a shot over the Guelph keeper to make it 2-0 before the game was 10 minutes old.

Laurier continued to convert their opportunities as Brown completed her hat-trick with goals in the 17th and 40th minutes before Maheu scored a highlight reel goal from the top of the box, curling it past Guelph keeper Alexandra King of Ottawa, to give Laurier a 5-0 lead at the half.

The second half saw many of the Hawks starters given a break, allowing the Gryphons to get their legs. After a couple of failed chances, Guelph broke Laurier keeper Katrina Ward's (Surrey, B.C.) shutout in the 90th minute when Katie Casucci of Niagara Falls, Ont., just got the ball over the line. However, the breakthough was too late to make a difference as the Hawks advanced with their largest margin of victory in a playoff game since the 1995 CIAU Semifinal against Carleton.

"I was pretty nervous coming into this game," commented Maheu on her play. "We had a lot to live up, especially after coming first in the season. I'm just really glad that we finished all those shots and Emily was there to finish to finish my rebounds."

The Hawks will now take the week to prepare for their OUA Semifinal matchup next weekend at the OUA Final Four tournament. Laurier will once again faceoff against their rivals, the No. 7 Queen's Gaels, in one of two games on Saturday afternoon. No. 1 Ottawa will face McMaster in the other semifinal game. Stay tuned to www.laurierathletics.com all week for up-to-date information regarding the Final Four tournament.

NOTES: Br own's hat-trick gives her 18 goals this year during the regular season and playoffs...the Hawks and Gaels meet for the fourth straight season in the OUA Final Four with the last two coming in the gold medal match

Source: Queen's Sports Info

KINGSTON, Ont. - After receiving a first-round playoff bye, the No. 7-ranked Queen's Gaels beat the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-1 in a nail-biter in OUA quarterfinal action at West Campus Field on a cold and rainy affair on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Gaels now advance to the OUA Final Four.
 
Not playing since last Sunday, the Gaels got off to a slow start under the slippery conditions. The Gaels failed to create any real chances as the Varsity Blues held possession for most of the first half. Toronto would strike first. After captain Aisha Lewis (Mississauga, Ont.) won her team a corner kick, the ball bounced to first-year midfielder Kristin Kletke (Etobicoke, Ont.) on the corner and she put it away in front of the box to put her Blues up 1-0 over the defending champs in the 30th minute. The Gaels were outshot 5-3 in the first half.
 
After being stunned by the Toronto goal in the opening half, the Gaels came out determined in the second half and created plenty of opportunities early on. Jackie Tessier (Winnipeg, Man.) had a great chance on a shot fired to the top right corner in the 55th minute, but was denied by Toronto goalkeeper Sara Petrucci (Bolton, Ont.) The Gaels would get a few more good looks, but could not find the back of the net as the time was winding down, and their quest for a third straight CIS championship was on the line.
 
The Gaels got another scare in the 78th minute when a Toronto goal was called offside. After constantly pushing in the second half, the Gaels would finally get their break in the 88th minute. Fourth-year midfielder Alexis McKinty (Burlington, Ont.) put it in in front of the net in the dying minutes of regulation to tie the score at 1-1 and force it to extra time to keep her Gaels alive, completely swinging the momentum to the home -side.
 
After being all Toronto in the first 88 minutes of the game, the Gaels would carry this momentum into extra time. Nine minutes into the first half of extra time, McKinty would put in her second of the game in the box, just managing to squeeze it passed Petrucci, to put her team up 2-1 in extra time. Then the Gaels would secure the lead in the 103rd minute as Tessier grabbed a through pass, beat the goalkeeper, and poked it in to put her team up 3-1.
 
The Gaels back line provided solid defence against the dominant Toronto offence. The Gaels shut down first-year striker LaShaunna Harper (Toronto, Ont.) who scored 11 goals for her team this season, who only managed to get two shots on net the entire game. First-year goalkeeper Madison Tyrell (White Rock, B.C.) made ten saves for the Gaels in the win.
 
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Varsity Blues after upsetting Queen's 3-1 earlier this season and almost pulled another upset on Sunday after leading for 88 minutes of the game. Petrucci also made ten saves in the loss.
 
The Gaels now have until next weekend in Ottawa, Ont. to fine-tune their game as the win over the Varsity Blues secures the Gaels a spot in the OUA Final Four Championships. The Gaels open the tournament against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (OUA West Division) on Saturday, November 3 at 2 p.m. The Ottawa Gee-Gees (highest remaining east semifinalist) and the McMaster Marauders (OUA West Division) round out the Final Four, making it the same four teams which qualified for last season's OUA Final Four.

Source: Ottawa Sports info

OTTAWA - The uOttawa women’s soccer team advanced to the OUA East finals on Sunday after defeating the Carleton Ravens 1-0 at Matt Anthony Field. The customarily high flying Gee-Gee offence was held to only one goal in the game, despite firing seven shots on the Ravens goalkeeper.

The Ravens made a strong push in the latter stages of the game, switching to a more aggressive approach that made for some exciting tension in the final minutes.

“I was glad for us to get the experience of being able to play in a sudden death situation,” explained Gee-Gees head coach Steve Johnson. “I think our pace, at times, was a little bit too frantic, but that comes about with it being a sudden death game and on wet turf.”

After having more than a week to prepare for the match up thanks to a first round bye, the Gee-Gees out shot the Ravens 7-2 and maintained their exceptional ball possession skills that have been evident all season.

Gee-Gee goaltender Cynthia Leblanc saw more action than she has of late, having to come up big on a few occasions late in the game. The stellar Gee-Gee defensive core has allowed limited chances for opposing teams to test Leblanc this season, but the Ravens managed to apply some pressure in desperation in the final minutes.

“We remain confident in our goalkeeper,” coach Johnson said of Leblanc. “She looked very strong, made good early decisions and her hands were terrific. We’ve done really well denying other teams to shoot or send dangerous balls in, so it was good to see that when that situation comes about, Cynthia is there to be as good as we know she is.”

The garnet and grey controlled the tempo of the game early on, slowly building momentum until the 36 minute mark when midfielder Corina Jarrett displayed great patience and finesse, sending a clean pass to a streaking Pilar Khoury who made no mistake on the cross net strike.

That would be all the home team needed on Sunday though, punching their ticket to OUA Final Four weekend at Matt Anthony Field next weekend.

“I feel good going into the OUA Final Four, being able to host and getting two opportunities to make it to nationals,” said coach Johnson.

The Gee-Gees now have until next Saturday, November 3, to fine tune their game for OUA Final Four final action. Ottawa will host the Queen’s Gaels as the second ranked team from the East Division, along with the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and the McMaster Marauders from the west – the same four teams which qualified for last season’s Final Four tournament. The tournament will open with the Gee-Gees facing off against McMaster on Saturday at 11 am.

Source: McMaster Sports Info

London, Ont. - It took the fifth penalty kicker in a post-overtime shootout for the McMaster Marauders to take a 1-0 win over the Western Mustangs women’s soccer team in OUA semifinal action at TD Waterhouse.
 
 Marauder goalie Brittany Duffey played an outstanding game and accurately read the final kicks for McMaster’s 3-2 edge in the shootout. Mustangs Jessica Trejo, Jenn Spinozzi, Hannah Kennedy, Tara Condos, and Jayne Vandewalle all took free shots for Western following 110 minutes of play, with Kennedy and Vandewalle beating Duffey in the top corners. Western keeper Tori Edgar responded with composure; she made a game saving grab against Marauder Adrienne Harrison on the third shot, but misread McMaster’s final kicker for the 0-1 shootout loss.
 
Goal scorers in the shoot out included veteran Mel Van Der Hoop and rookie Maureen Mai, and Emma Mangiardi would score the final goal to give the Marauders the win.
 
 Both teams fought through hostile winds and on-and-off rain this afternoon. Mustang Jessica Trejo was unaffected by the conditions and led the game with aggressive throw ins that blazed over 20 yards long – the strongest on the field. At ten minutes, Trejo threw towards the Marauder net and just missed off a player deflection, but the play had McMaster keeper Duffey diving for the ball to make her first save of the game.
 
 Twenty minutes in, the Mustangs had a good opportunity from a long goal kick by keeper Tori Edgar, but Duffey came way out from her own box to snatch the play. Jenna Schroeder looked composed and played a competitive game for the 'Stangs; at 34 minutes, Schroeder stole the ball of the Marauder offense but top OUA scorer, second year Lauren Winquist could not convert the scoring chance.
 
 Winquist responded with an impressive run up the left side and a good centering pass at 26 minutes, but her cross didn’t align with the teammate Tara Condos to complete the play. Trejo then had back-to-back throw ins in the Marauder zone for the final first half minutes, and narrowly missed a bounce off Duffey’s right side on the first play.
 
 Both Hannah Kennedy and Madison Seymour substituted in for the Mustangs to make an impact in the second half. Seymour made an impressive touch 17 minutes in but strong Marauder defense kept the ball in the neutral zone. Sabrina DeNard followed up with a free kick for Western and a scrum started in front of the Marauder net, but Duffey was aggressive and took no chances, catching the ball in mid-play.
 
 The Marauders came back with pressure in the second half and had the Mustangs deep in their own end. The team had a free kick with eight minutes remaining but sailed it high over Edgar and the Mustang goal.
 
 Final minutes were action-packed on both sides and Western made a final push. Trejo had another accurate throw in to teammate Kennedy who just missed a header that deflected off the top of the Marauder crossbar. The Stangs followed up with a key turnover and three on one break in the final minute but the Marauder defense chased back in time to regroup and prevent a last minute goal.
 
Thirty-minute overtime also encompassed several close breaks for both teams. Mustang Jenn Spinozzi won several ball in the air to keep the momentum in the Mustangs’ favour, while Marauder Sophia Ykema had a close scoring chance in the first moments of the second overtime period. Edgar was vigorous and got a piece of Ykema's shot as it missed off the crossbar.
 
Both teams showed passion and grit during the final playoff shootout, but it was McMaster with the mental toughness edge that took the win 1-0 in an intense, rivaled game.
 
The Marauders will now play top-ranked Ottawa at the OUA Final Four tournament at the University of Ottawa next weekend.

Source: Regina Sports Info

REGINA - For the first time in program history, the University of Regina's women's soccer team will head to the Canada West Final Four after recording a 2-1 win over Saskatchewan on Sunday afternoon at the U of R Field in a match that needed to go to penalty kicks to decide a winner.
 
The Cougars got goals from Kayla McDonald, Adriana McCullough, and Molly Glass in the shootout and keeper Stephanie Possberg sealed the victory with a diving stop on Saskatchewan's Jenna Newton in the fourth round.
 
Meagan Cormier (Regina) and Leanne Mylymok (Saskatchewan) scored in regulation, with Mylymok's goal coming late in second-half injury time to force extra time.
 
“It's a great day for the players and a great day for the program,” Cougars head coach Bob Maltman said following the victory. “It was fantastic competition as we expected and hats off to both teams for a great match. We certainly know we've got lots of work ahead of us, but we look forward to having the opportunity to represent the school at the Final Four.”
 
Despite a game-time temperature of -1 C but a strong southeast wind that lowered the wind chill to the negative double digits, a huge crowd of over 500 people attended the contest.
 
With the wind at the Cougars' backs for the first half, the crowd got a chance to cheer early on. In the 19th minute, Cormier took the ball about 20 yards out, dribbled between two Saskatchewan defenders and uncorked a shot to the left corner of the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead. Cormier had a chance to extend the lead 37 minutes in, but her shot from the left side of the box sailed just over the net.
 
Enjoying the wind at their backs after halftime, Saskatchewan had two great chances stymied by Possberg in the early stages of the second half. Possberg dove to her right to deflect a low Nicholle Morrison shot from about 25 yards out in the 53rd minute, and shortly thereafter she made her best stop of the match on a Daniela Fuenzalida shot that was labelled for the right corner.
 
Cormier was injured in the 61st minute after a collision with Saskatchewan keeper Marissa Struik, but returned to the field five minutes later. She had another opportunity to put the Cougars up by two in the 83rd minute after a solo rush down the right wing, but her shot missed to the right.
 
The referee gave four minutes of extra time at the end of the second half, and at the tail end of it Saskatchewan broke through. Pushed up with the Huskies pressing for the equalizer, Saskatchewan defender Meagan Manson sent in a nice cross from the right wing that was tipped by Erica Parenteau right to Mylymok at the top of the box, who found the back of the net to knot the game at one apiece.
 
Regina had the best chance in the two 15-minute extra times. In the 102nd minute, Kelsey Abstreiter boomed a long free kick that hit the cross bar. The rebound was headed in by Cormier, but the goal was negated by an obvious offside on the play.
 
Possberg made one additional save in extra time, stopping a medium-range effort from Fuenzalida in the 109th minute.
 
In the shootout, both teams opened the first round with failed attempts. Adrianna Bonutti's low shot was stopped by Struik, while Morrison's shot hit the left post and stayed out. McDonald scored the first of the shootout with a shot to the top left corner, and a Possberg save on Erica Hindmarsh gave the Cougars a 1-0 advantage through two rounds.
 
Both teams scored in the third round, as McCullough scored what would turn out to be the game-winning attempt for the Cougars and Mylymok found the back of the net for Saskatchewan.
 
Glass scored in the fourth round of the shootout for the Cougars, giving Possberg the opportunity to win the match for the Cougars with a stop. Possberg did just that, diving to her right to stop the shot by Newton and pave the way for a field rush by the Cougar faithful.
 
The win was a historic one for the Cougars. Not only do they advance to the Canada West Final Four for the first time in history, but the victory is also the University of Regina's first postseason win since the program was started in 2001.
 
The No. 4-seeded Cougars will now prepare to face top-seeded Trinity Western next weekend in a conference semifinal match in Langley, B.C. The winner of that will advance to the conference championship against the UBC/Victoria winner.
 
The Canada West champion will also advance to the 2012 CIS Championship, which will be hosted by the University of Victoria from Nov. 8 to Nov. 11.