The Carleton women’s soccer team faced a tough battle this past weekend with their two back-to-back games in northern Ontario, both ending in defeat for the Ravens.
Their Saturday game against the Laurentian Voyageurs concluded in a 0-1 loss and Sunday match brought another defeat against the Nipissing Lakers, ending in 0-2.
The women’s team’s first game against Laurentian was one of possible redemption, having lost to the Voyageurs at home on Sept. 5.
The rain posed as a challenge as both teams struggled to maintain possession of the ball.
“Even trying to stay on your feet in the mud was a struggle,” said Ravens forward Abby Nicastro.
The slippery grass field, along with the unfamiliar line-up, put the Ravens at a disadvantage from the get-go, being primarily accustomed to turf fields.
“The full first half we had three players up front playing positions they normally don’t play,” Nicastro said.
The first half ended in a stalemate with the scoreboard at 0-0. However it was minutes into the second half when the Voyageurs gained a one-goal advantage over the Ravens. The Ravens were not able to recover from the Voyageurs’ goal.
“All the players on the field are playing out of position,” said Sudbury native and Ravens captain, Veronica Mazzella.
Notable strides were made in the second half by fifth year Adrianna Ruggiero, who had just recently recovered from a fractured back.
Following the loss in their first game, the Ravens went into their second game against the Nipissing Lakers the very next day.
Once again the team fell short with another loss and no mark on the scoreboard.
The Lakers were able to gain a one-goal advantage, which carried them into halftime comfortably.
Despite multiple offensive chances, the Ravens were unable to counter the goal, and the Lakers were able to clinch a second goal to seal the deal.
“There were offensive chances, we just couldn’t finish them,” Nicastro said.
“These past matches have only been 1-0 or 2-0 losses so I feel like other teams can capitalize on a quick transitional play. Unfortunately we haven’t,” Mazzella said.
Defensive strategic planning has been a priority for the Ravens this season, in both pre-season and regular practice.
“We’ve been working on defense a lot this season. We have a really young backline so the first couple weeks of training camp we were focusing on the defensive chain,” Nicastro said.
Nicastro made special mention to second-year law student Melat Cherent who has proven to be a valuable asset to the defensive line this season.
“Cherent is incredibly fast, I want to say 99 per cent of the time she ends up retrieving the ball,” Nicastro said.
Despite the loss-filled weekend, which brought the Ravens to seventh place in their division, the team said they still remain hopeful.
“We have total faith in each other and will focus more on attacking more in the coming games,” Nicastro said.
The Ravens captain said she remained hopeful and determined discussing the team’s future in the remaining season.
Nicastro said spirits are still high within the team, as they ensure that their status in Canadian Interuniversity Sport does not reflect the team’s true potential.
“Teams don’t think we’re a threat but we’re going to come in as an underdog,” Mazzella said.
The Ravens await their match against local rival University of Ottawa on Sept. 26 at MNP Park.
