The Carleton Ravens women's soccer team slumped to a disappointing 4-0 defeat to the defending Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) champions Queen’s University Gaels Sept. 7 at Carleton’s Keith Harris Stadium.
“In truth, in terms of what we did, [there were] not a lot of positives. We were outmatched in all areas,” Ravens head coach Alex McNutt said after the game.
Coming off a two-game road trip, the Ravens were looking to start their season at home with a win against the reigning champions.
The match started quickly with the Gaels dominating much of the early possession. Within the opening 10 minutes, the Gaels broke down the right flank and chipped in a cross, letting Jackie Tessier score an easy header.
The weather conditions then started to interfere with the game, with the rain making the ball incredibly slick and forcing some quick reactions out of Ravens keeper Rachel Bedek.
The ball skipped across the ground, giving the Ravens defence a tough time against their speedy Queen’s counterparts. McNutt then made an early substitution bringing on rookie Kwanza Robest-Precod for fourth-year veteran Erica Battistella.
“We had a lot of first years out on the field today and that’ll be an eye opener for them,” McNutt said. “They’re used to more time and they’re not given as much now.”
Just before halftime, the Ravens suffered another setback as their offside trap failed, letting Tessier run in to put the ball past Bedek. The Ravens struggled generating offence against a tight Gaels defence, with Adrianna Ruggerio dragging her shot wide just before halftime.
The Ravens opened the second half looking more lively, with Robest-Precod leading the attack from the right wing. Robest-Precod and Rozlyn Boutin combined well down the right flank only for the final pass to let them down. But their good work was undone as the Gaels slipped in to score their third of the game.
The Ravens continued to struggle with their finishing, as Ruggiero shot wide from 20 yards out.
But again, the Ravens defence couldn’t contain the quick Gaels attackers and midway through the second half, Queens forward Riley Fillion beat her mark and slotted it past Bedek to make the final score 4-0.
The Ravens visit the Royal Military College Paladins Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.