There was no rest on the holiday weekend for the Carleton Ravens men’s soccer team. The team welcomed the Ryerson University Rams and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues to MNP Park this past weekend.
On Oct. 6, the Ravens hosted the Rams and claimed three points with a 3-0 victory but on Oct. 7, the Varsity Blues handed the Ravens their first loss of the season, beating the hosts 3-2.
Against Ryerson, the Ravens knew they had a tough game head of them as the previous meeting between these two teams ended in a 0-0 draw, Carleton’s only winless game.
In the first half, both teams were aggressive in offence, trying to score the game’s first goal.
During the first 45 minutes, a total of 14 shots were taken and 11 fouls were made, five of which resulted in the referee booking players with yellow cards.
At halftime, it was goalless but the Ravens rallied together to fight for a win.
Forward Stefan Karajovanovic scored the first goal of the match in the 69th minute and Dante Cobisa released any pressure from the Rams when he added a second in the 75th.
The game finished 3-0 when midfielder Dario Conte added his name to the scoresheet in the last few minutes of the game and the Ravens claimed their victory.
Sunday night however turned out to be a different story for the Ravens when the Varsity Blues edged a 3-2 victory, serving the Ravens their first loss of the season.
A strong Varsity Blues side visited MNP Park, looking for revenge as the Ravens won 3-0 back in Toronto earlier this year.
At first, the Ravens seemed unphased by Toronto’s aggression until the visiting side’s captain, Nikola Stakic, scored in the eighth minute.
The Ravens were trying to work together as a team and find a way through to the Varsity Blues’ goal, but the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
When the team made their way back onto the pitch, they knew something had to change. The second half saw the Ravens outshoot Toronto 17 to three and Conte was able to tie the match by scoring a direct free kick in the 55th minute.
The momentum from the goal led to Ravens head coach Kwesi Loney making an offensive change by bringing in Karajovanovic.
This change helped the Ravens up front and a team that previously lacking in creativity became more aware of the ball and the Varsity Blues’ positioning.
The visitors continued to crackdown on the Ravens defence and midfielder Anthony Sousa restored their lead to 2-1.
Karajovanoic, the substitute, was able to tie the game again for the Ravens when he scored 1-v-1 against the Varsity Blues goalkeeper.
With only 15 minutes left in the game, it seemed as though the Ravens would be able to keep their streak alive, but a defensive error allowed Sousa to tap home the winning goal for Toronto.
While the players roaming the field after the game seemed dejected about the result, Loney was pleased at how his team were able to adapt.
“Always playing the second day is tough, particularly when the team you play against is a good opposition like U of T . . . we started out slow but built our way back into it, so I’m really proud of the guys,” he said. “Unfortunately, at the end of the game, that’s what happens.”
The Ravens play their next two games on Oct. 13 and 14 when Trent University and University of Ontario Institute of Technology make the trip to MNP Park
Photo by Tim Austin
