The Carleton Ravens men’s soccer team won both their games in a show of dominance over the Trent Excalibur team during Halloween weekend.
The Ravens put an end to their three-game rut in spectacular fashion, scoring a combined 12 goals in two games. Excalibur suffered from a disorganized offence, leaving them without goals during the matchups.
The Ravens’ wins this weekend secure them a spot in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Friday: Carleton wins 9-0
The Ravens put their winless streak to rest Friday night in a 9-0 blowout against Trent Excalibur on the road at the Justin Chiu Stadium in Peterborough, Ont.
Carleton’s dominance was immediately clear as they maintained absolute control of the ball, allowing midfielder Matteo de Brienne to score the Ravens’ first goal in the sixth minute.
“The last three games we played with a bit of a goal drought,” head coach Kwesi Loney said. “We wanted to make sure we came back today, trying to exorcise those demons and get back on the right path.”
Twenty minutes later, Carleton defender Tareq Hamad scored his first goal of the season off a corner kick by knocking a pass from midfielder Dario Conte into the net. Friday’s match against Trent was Conte’s first game back after missing matches due to concussion protocol.
“We definitely took extra precaution and kept him out probably an additional two weeks just to make sure that he was healthy and safe,” Loney said. “We wanted to make sure that when he came into the game today, he felt good.”
Conte’s comeback continued as he carried a long pass up the middle of the field to the net, scoring the Ravens’ third goal in the 33rd minute. The Ravens ended the half strong as a wide-open defender Raphaël Garcia passed across the box to de Brienne, who knocked the ball into the net for his second goal of the game.
As if to forecast Excalibur’s misfortune, a drizzle dampened the field as the second half began. Three minutes in, de Brienne got his third goal after receiving a long pass from midfielder Scott Mazzotta at midfield.
As the second half continued, Ravens midfielder Luca Piccioli and Mazzotta secured two more goals to seal the Excalibur’s fate.
Defender Sean Kim suffered a slide tackle in the Excalibur box, earning Carleton a penalty kick. The Trent goalkeeper fell to his right, allowing Kim to kick the ball straight into the net behind where the goalie once stood.
The final goal of the game was scored in the 82nd minute by Carleton’s Jeremy Aweya, who loosed a ball that flew, quite literally, through the net and rolled into the road behind the field.
Sunday: Carleton wins 3-0
The Ravens returned home to win their last game of the regular season on Halloween.
The game opened with a ceremony celebrating senior players who graduate this year. Gabriel Bitar, Ricky Comba, Emad Houache, Diego Politis, Mitchell O’Brien, Jimi Aribido, Junior Asare, Conte, Aweya and Mazzotta will play their final games as Ravens over the upcoming weeks in the OUA playoffs and U Sports nationals.
While Trent was able to organize themselves and make more offensive plays on Sunday, it was not enough to score a single goal.
Staying competitive was key in securing a second win after the Friday blowout, Garcia said, although he did not play Sunday.
“We just beat them 9-0 and then you’re showing up on Sunday, you know you have to get the win,” Garcia said. “We’ve beaten a team 7-1 this year and then tied them 0-0. So that’s just about mentality.”
Scoring opened in the 13th minute of the game. Aweya received a cross, which he bumped off his chest into the net.
Although Trent’s offence got near the net more often, no goals were to be had again until the second half when Houache sent a pass across the box to Comba, who secured a goal with a well-timed header.
With 12 minutes left on the clock, Kim sent a long pass up the field to midfielder Kevin Kaba Kalonji, who turned the pass into a third and final goal for the Ravens.
With two more wins under their belt at the end of the regular season, the Ravens are scheduled to play McMaster at home in the OUA quarterfinals on Wednesday.
“I’m happy with where we’re playing right now. We needed some goals. We got the goals that we needed,” Loney said. “We’re all buzzing. The guys are injury-free and ready to go. We’re ready to make a run now.”
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
