The Carleton Ravens women’s soccer team delivered two firsts to the top-seeded University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Oct. 12.
In a single afternoon, the Gee-Gees suffered their first loss of the 2013 season as well as their first loss to the Ravens in their history.
The first contest between the two teams earlier this season ended on the foot of Ravens forward Adrianna Ruggiero who scored in the last minute to tie the Gee-Gees, something the Ravens had not done in three years.
“We will win next time,” Ravens fourth-year midfielder Samantha Nealon said following the tie on Sept. 11.
Nealon was not only true to her word, but the Ravens beat the Gee-Gees outright 4-1, in what head coach Alex McNutt called an “emphatic win.”
McNutt said a less-than-stellar Gee-Gees showing favoured the Ravens.
“I think we have to give ourselves credit for that. At the end of the day it’s the team that steps up,” he said.
The Ravens scored three goals in the second half alone.
On the score sheet for the Ravens was Abby Nicastro, who scored two goals, Sarah Royer, and Ruggiero.
“This is a special group . . . and they proved that today,” McNutt said.
Third-year midfielder Nicole Filipow helped break the losing skid, and said the feeling is “absolutely amazing.”
“There are no words to describe it, for us it’s just a regular season game, but it sure feels like more than that,” she said.
McNutt said in the second half the team was able to reach “another level” from the belief that they could do it.
“I was really pleased with the second half, I thought we took it to them. Even when we were ahead we kept pushing for more goals,” he said. “We went into it the same we have all of our games . . . we had the attitude to be more of a threat, to be more direct at times.”
This season the Ravens have excelled in what McNutt said is “quicker counter-attacks.”
On Oct. 9, the Ravens were able to escape with a tie against the Queen’s University Gaels.
The Gaels had edged their way to a 2-1 lead in the 86th minute and looked like they would be leaving with three points, but the Ravens fought back with a goal by fourth-year forward Andrea Way in the 88th minute.
The game ended in a 2-2 draw and the Ravens were able to take a point out of the game.
The Ravens’ record is now 8-2-4 as they head into their final two games of the season.
They will host the Ryerson University Rams and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues Oct. 19-20.
