The Gee-Gees did everything necessary to defeat the Ravens on Sept. 23 at Matt Anthony Field (Photo: Adam Dietrich)
After a much-talked-about suspension led to the automatic loss of six crucial points, the varsity women’s soccer team was unable to mark their much-anticipated return with a victory, falling 1-0 against the cross-town rival University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.
The university-enforced suspension, handed down as a result of an alcohol-abusive rookie initiation, was lifted in time for the women to take on a squad who had already come away with a 2-0 victory over the Ravens at Keith Harris Stadium earlier this season.
The Ravens kicked off the game under the lights at Matt Anthony Field, and despite the long layoff, the women looked energetic right from the opening whistle.
“We’re happy to be back playing,” star midfielder Aisha Stinson said after the match. “We would have liked to get those couple games [we missed] to just practice a bit, but we were ready today.”
Not the least of the players who seemed unfazed by the recent happenings was rookie goalkeeper Anna Morsky, who kept the home side at bay with a number of great saves, including a wonderful two-handed block that denied Ottawa-defender Leslie Martin the opening goal 39 minutes in.
Unfortunately for the Ravens, the Saskatoon, Sask. native could not keep everything out.
On the ensuing corner, an unmarked Gillian Baggot at the back post sent a header that bounced sharply off the turf and into the top corner of the goal, snatching the three points for the sixth-placed ranked Gee-Gees.
“It’s just fine lines that often separate teams,” head coach Alex McNutt said. “Often it comes down to set pieces, and that’s what decided the game tonight.”
The first-year coach is well aware that despite the intense focus on the suspension, the women need to put the incident behind them to ensure a run at this year’s playoffs.
“It’s never a good time to be suspended, so all we got to do now is face the fact that we were, and try and pick ourselves up,” McNutt said.
If this resurgence is to occur, Stinson said she believes a complete team effort is a necessity.
“I feel as responsible as anybody else,” Stinson said. “We all have our responsibilities on the team, but we’re a team and we’ll get through it together.”
The loss not only keeps the Ravens planted in the bottom third of the Ontario University Athletics East division with only 8 points, but also puts the all-time record of the women’s program to 0-25-7 against their bitter city rivals.