The Carleton Ravens men’s soccer team strung together seven straight wins en route to a 11-3 record and fourth-place standing in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) rankings this season.
But they failed to secure a berth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final after losing to the McMaster Marauders Nov. 5.
For the fifth year in a row, the team saw their chances of making the CIS national championship squandered. Clearly, something isn’t working.
Their roster is full of skilled and talented players like Andrew Latty, Joey Kewin, Sam McHugh, and so on. But a team can only get so far on athleticism and talent. If the team is going to buck their playoff mediocrity and establish themselves as credible post-season contenders, they need to shake things up and consider approaching the game differently.
The Ravens play a kick-and-chase style of game, which has worked in the regular season against weaker opponents. But this strategy has proved unsuccessful against teams like the McMaster Marauders, who are skilled at moving the ball around and creating space through a more possession-based game.
When Carleton’s men’s basketball team had the services of Kevin McCleery, they completely changed their system to make use of his size and skill. But when the 6’8” forward graduated, the Ravens became more of a perimeter team like in previous years, and it worked.
Regular season success means very little if a team can’t perform in the playoffs. The Ravens have never won a CIS title, but it appears they’re on the verge of accomplishing something special. If they want to get over the hump, it’s high time they adopt a new approach.