After a successful double-fixture weekend featuring 7-0 and 3-0 shutouts against the RMC Paladins on Sept. 29 and Oct. 1, the Carleton Ravens men’s soccer team extended their season-opening winning streak to nine games.
Following the weekend, the Ravens have a two-week break before their final three games of the regular season.
Carleton is set to face the second-place Ontario Tech Ridgebacks and third-place Toronto Metropolitan University Bold. Although the Ravens currently hold the top spot, the second and third teams will undoubtedly test them more than any opponent has. Head coach Marcelo Plada said he believes his team is ready.
“You go on a little streak and you play a good team that’ll really push back, and whether you can get up is a matter of the character this team has,” Plada said, following the first win over the Paladins. “I think they do have it.”
Ravens rule the roost
The Ravens kicked off their perfect weekend against the Paladins with a 7-0 beatdown. There were many notable names from the Ottawa soccer world in attendance at the game, including Atletico Ottawa’s Luke Singh, Tyr Duhaney-Walker and Samuel Salter.
As soon as the ball was rolling, the Ravens dominated with a high press and forced turnovers from the visiting side. In the first few minutes, they bombarded the Paladins’ 18-yard box with aerial crosses and precise passes.
Just four minutes and 30 seconds into the game, Ravens defender Kevin Kaba fed fellow defender Raphaël Garcia — on an inverted run into the box — a through-ball, which Garcia placed into the bottom-left corner of the net.
The game had barely resumed when the Ravens struck again. In the seventh minute, midfielder Luca Piccioli scored on a cross from Garcia.
The onslaught continued through the rest of the half as Carleton added four more tallies. Striker Darren Bouaziz scored two, his attacking partner Mohammed Bouzidi scored one, and Garcia bagged another goal just two minutes before the halftime whistle to put the Ravens up 6-0.
The second half began as the sun set and the flood lights turned on. The Ravens lined up with multiple new faces, but the personnel change had little effect on their control of the game.
Plada praised the play of those who don’t see the field as regularly.
“It was great … they were courageous, they were trying things on, they were being creative,” he said. “[In the] second half, I really liked the style of play. Quick touches, quick movements. It was really the models that we have been practicing.”
Similar to the first half, the Ravens played quick and direct passes that left their opponents stunned on the defensive.
The final 45 minutes of play was relatively tame in terms of goal scoring, with one goal scored by midfielder Michael Blight in the 79th minute, but the Ravens didn’t give an inch of ground to the Paladins.
Armed with a commanding lead, the Ravens experimented.
Defender Kaba made bolting runs behind the Paladins’ midfield and defensive lines and lingered up front much longer than he had in previous, tighter games. Bouzidi, traditionally a striker, played in the left-wing position after re-entering the match in the 67th minute. He cut in with the ball to create chances or put shots on net.
After 90 minutes of the Ravens imposing their will, the game ended 7-0.
Just two days later, as many watched the Ravens football team lose by a last-minute field goal, men’s soccer won 3-0 against the Paladins at Navy Bay Fields.
Despite beginning the game without some starters, the Ravens extended their winning streak in an impressive fashion. Away from home, the Ravens scored three goals with three shots on net and spoiled the Paladins’ lone shot.
Tests ahead
This season, Carleton isn’t just squeaking by — they’re utterly dominating. Throughout their nine-game winning streak, the Ravens have scored 34 goals while conceding only five.
Two weeks before Carleton hosts Toronto Metropolitan and three before they play Ontario Tech, Plada said his staff have been watching their future opponents’ film to prepare. Plada said the coaching staff plans to go over the film and tactics with the squad so they’re “mentally prepared.”
“[The players] will see a lot of videos, they’ll have a lot of sessions designed to cope with their tactics,” Plada said. “They’ll probably take a break after Sunday… and then we’ll get back to it and start designing our periodization for both those teams.”
The Ravens will look to extend their win streak into double digits on Oct. 15 when they host Toronto Metropolitan at 3:30 p.m at TAAG Park.
Featured image by Marc Lafleur.
