After a 3-1 win against the Nipissing Lakers Sept. 24, the Carleton Ravens women’s soccer team battled hard against the Laurentian Lady Vees Sept. 25, but ended the game in a 0-0 draw on Ravens home turf.
Third-year goalkeeper Rachel Bedek said the Ravens knew the Lady Vees would be tough opponents.
“They’re a way more physical team and we knew it was going to be a hard game, especially since they lost to Ottawa U [Sept. 24],” Bedek said. “They always come out on top and they have nothing to lose. So we knew we were in for a fight. Last weekend [against Laurentian], we came out with a 1-0 win so we knew we’d have to step it up this game.”
The Ravens could have capitalized on many scoring opportunities in the first half of the game. First-year forward Kwanzaa Robest-Prescod won the ball many times and had numerous shots on net.
“We definitely had way more opportunities [in the] first half. I felt like we were just playing the ball more. But as the game goes on, that anxiety builds to the need to score goals,” Bedek said.
Head coach Alex McNutt wasn’t present for the match against Laurentian, so assistant coach Sophie Lecot-Hearn took the lead role during the match.
“It was a strong opposition and each team is good,” Lecot-Hearn said. “You’ve got to come up and be ready on the day and they had a lot to offer so we had to defend.”
The scoreless draw proved to be exhausting for both teams as they battled during both halves but had nothing to show for it.
“We missed a lot of chances though it could have been the same result on the board but we just didn’t put them away,” Lecot-Hearn said.
Bedek said she believes the Ravens could have outplayed the Lady Vees if they maintained their composure. Laurentian kept “playing the ball up in the air a lot, and they were very direct,” Bedek said.
That forced the Ravens to resort to similar tactics to keep up, she added.
After Robest-Prescod nearly scored before the break, Laurentian upped their game in the second half. In the 66th minute, the Lady Vees had their best scoring chance after being awarded a corner kick, but the ensuing shot sailed over the net.
Bedek said she thought the team had the right mentality going into the game, and this was a sentiment Lecot-Hearn echoed.
“In terms of performance, we did well today. It was just a question of finishing,” Lecot-Hearn said.
After the pair of weekend games, the Ravens’ season record sits at 4-3-2. They’re undefeated in four games, picking up eight points along the way. The team is currently tied for fifth place with Laurentian in the Ontario University Athletics East Division.
