The Carleton Ravens women’s soccer team started their season off the right way with a 1-1 tie against the Toronto Varsity Blues and a 1-0 win over the Ryerson Rams Sept. 1-2.
The team has high expectations for this season and they expect to be a contender come playoff time.
“We want to go into the postseason and do well, we have reason to believe we can beat anyone this year,” Ravens head coach Alex McNutt said.
After finishing fourth in their division last season and playing well in the playoffs, it is clear that the Ravens have the talent needed to be a dominant force this year.
“We play great football and there is always variety in our attack,” McNutt added.
The team has a strong core group of veteran leaders led by Rachel Bedek, Briana De Souza, Valerie Hamilton and Alexandria Druggett.
“With those four as well as a lot of great second year players who gained a lot of experience last year, we have a lot of strength and depth,” McNutt said.
The team has strong leaders but also have support from the younger players on the team. Both Ravens goals scored this weekend were by players in their second and third year. Second-year midfielder Nicole Filipow scored the Ravens goal against the Toronto Varsity Blues and third-year forward Andrea Way scored the goal for the Ravens against the Ryerson Rams.
“I think all of the fourth years on our team this year are all considered leaders. Playing on the back line, I think my role is to be a leader and a vocal player on the field,” defender Briana De Souza said.
“Some people are more quiet on the field and that’s why we need that extra push from the back field,” she added.
With such a strong start and lots of time to practice and continue to improve, the team has a clear chance at being a deep playoff threat.
“In my four years here, this is the best soccer we’ve ever played, possession-wise, we keep the ball on the ground for 90 minutes and we keep possession for most of the game,” De Souza said.
In both games, the Ravens dominated possession and had a lot of shots on goal. They looked very strong especially against Toronto who finished ahead of the Ravens in the standings last season.
“Right now we are playing some really nice football but we’re not getting the goals we need,” McNutt said.
The team has already identified its key strengths and some things it needs to improve on. With the year just getting underway, the team will have a lot of time for improvement while continuing to develop its strengths.
“Things are looking promising and we just need to play quicker as a team and that will come as we get more into the season… I think we’re looking good,” De Souza said.
The Ravens women will continue to practice hard for their next game when they host the Laurentian Voyageurs on Sept. 8. The Voyageurs finished one win behind the Ravens last season.
