The Carleton Ravens women’s soccer team did exactly what it set out to do, collecting all six possible points in its two road games against the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks and the Trent University Excalibur.
Carleton took home a 2-1 victory on Oct. 15 against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks before holding off the Trent Excalibur in a decisive 2-0 result on Oct. 16
Saturday Oct. 15: Ravens versus Ontario Tech
The Ravens got off to a slow start. Ontario Tech forced turnovers and kept Carleton away from the dangerous attacking areas.
The Ridgebacks’ midfield, on the other hand, was dominating the battle in the middle of the park, leading to a goal from Midfielder Jordan Tortolo that gave Ontario Tech a 1-0 advantage.
She let a shot fly from outside the box, beating Ravens’ shot-stopper Chloe Lachance-Soulard on a beautiful strike.
The score remained 1-0 Ontario Tech as the match went into the second half.
While it took Carleton some time to get its offence going, the Ravens did punch through in the 82nd minute as Elodie Sylvain got her foot on a nice cross into the box, equalizing the game at 1-1.
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The Ravens gained momentum following the goal as they pushed for the victory late in the match.
The score remained deadlocked at one as added time hit the scoreboard. That was until Ravens’ fifth-year forward Chloe Doherty let one fly from the right side of the 18 yard box, a curling strike to take a 2-1 lead.
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The Ravens held on and took the win in the first of back to back games with a score of 2-1.
Sunday, Oct. 16: Ravens versus the Excalibur
In the second of the two games over the weekend, Carleton took on Trent at Justin Chiu Stadium, looking to perfect its road trip.
The Ravens created many opportunities early on, particularly from set plays through corners and free kicks.
That worked to the team’s benefit as a right-sided corner kick flew into the box. Forward Lauren Illman got her head on it and buried the ball into the right corner of the net, giving Carleton a 1-0 advantage in only the second minute of play.
That early start was key for the Ravens, as the team built momentum in the first portion of the match.
While Trent did push as the first half went on, Carleton, with help from Lachance-Soulard, were able to stave off pressure. The half ended with the Ravens up 1-0.
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The Ravens kept their aggression up in the second half, forcing turnovers and pressuring Excalibur into making mistakes. This favoured Doherty and forward Mikayla Moser who often found themselves in space to create scoring chances.
Carleton capitalized on some lackluster transition play from the Excalibur side to take a late 2-0 lead. Despite some time being left on the clock, the second goal was a dagger sent through the hope of an Excalibur comeback.
With the two wins over the weekend, the Ravens collected all six points it set out for on the road. Sunday afternoon’s win is also the third shutout of the season for Lachance-Soulard.
The wins put Carleton at 5-3-1 on the season, making them fifth in the OUA east division as they continue their battle for a playoff spot.
Carleton concluded the regular season with a pair of weekend wins at TAAG Park against Trent Exabilur on Oct. 21 and the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold on Oct. 23. The team will take on the Nipissing Lakers tomorrow in the first round of the OUA Playoffs.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
