The Carleton Ravens women’s soccer team took one step closer to securing home-field advantage in the playoffs, as they took four out of a possible six points last weekend from their matches with Laurentian and Nipissing University.
The home crowd witnessed the Ravens and the Laurentian University Lady Vees play out to a 1-1 draw Oct. 17 and they were right back on the turf to take on the Nipissing University Lakers less than 24 hours later.
Riding an outstanding performance from the in-form Amanda Ngwafusi, the Ravens fought back from a 1-0 deficit on a blustery afternoon at Keith Harris Stadium, ultimately securing a very important 4-2 victory.
The game began without much in the way of chances, until a flurry of opportunities for the Ravens midway through the half. Striker Shayla LaVecchia raced down the left wing to provide a pinpoint cross for Pickering, Ont. native Briana De Souza, whose first-time shot cannoned off the cross bar, and only a fantastic one-handed save from Lakers goalkeeper Samantha Behm denied LaVecchia on the rebound.
Things got more frustrating for the Ravens in the 30th minute, when Lakers defender Valaine Confesor snuck in unmarked at the back post, and tapped in a free-kick that was allowed to travel untouched through the six-yard box.
“We started the game well and we should have been up, but to be honest Nipissing came at us and they were first to the ball,” Ravens head coach Alex McNutt said. “At halftime we said ‘Look, we got to step up in the midfield,’ and once we did that we were successful.”
Riding that advice during the break, the Ravens came out strong in the second-half and it was the wide areas to cause all sorts of problems for the Lakers defenders, who simply could not deal with the pace down the wings.
“We played Nipissing on Wednesday and we noticed that they have a lack of pace in the wide areas, so our game plan was to try and go at them on the wings with [Ngwafusi] and [De Souza],” McNutt said after the game.
Ngwafusi and LaVecchia each scored to put the home side on top, bringing a silent crowd to life for the first time all afternoon.
Although a mistake by Ravens goalkeeper Rachel Bedek gifted Nipissing an equalizer in the 65th minute, Ngwafusi scored her second of the match with a fantastic lob over the onrushing Behm, putting her tied for third in the OUA East division with eight markers for the season.
LaVecchia then added her second to wrap up the three points with a screamer from 25 yards out that found the bottom corner past a helpless Lakers goalkeeper.
The result shot the Ravens into third-place in the division with 24 points, and ensured that McNutt’s side remained in good position to secure the all-important home field advantage during the playoffs.