AROUND OUA: Four goals from Baker power Rams past Paladins

SCOREBOARD

York 1 @ Western 1

Nipissing 0 @ Carleton 5

Laurier 2 @ Algoma 1

Guelph 2 @ Windsor 1

McMaster 3 @ Waterloo 1

Ryerson 6 @ RMC 0

Toronto 4 @ Queen's 0

Four goals from Baker power Rams past Paladins

KINGSTON - Jamie Baker (Aurora, Ont.) found the back of the net on four occasions and the No. 3 Ryerson Rams kept their flawless start to the season intact with a 6-0 victory over the RMC Paladins in OUA men's soccer action Sunday afternoon. Nick Lambis (Pickering, Ont.) and Alex Christie (Whitby, Ont.) also scored for Ryerson as they pushed their record to 8-0.

BOXSCORE

The win moves the Rams back atop the OUA East division with 24 points. That puts them two up on the Carleton Ravens (7-1-1) with a game in hand. At the other end of the spectrum, RMC falls to 0-8 and remain at the bottom of the division's standings.

Baker got Ryerson going early; really early. He deposited the ball in the back of the net before the game was even a minute old to give the Rams a 1-0 advantage. He followed that up with two more tallies before the 15 minute mark and another in the 34th minute.

With a 4-0 lead at half, Baker continued to fuel Ryerson's offence following the break. He set up Lambis' fifth goal of the campaign in the 58th minute to widen the gap to five goals. Then, shortly before the final whistle, the team had a special moment.

Usually a goalkeeper for Ryerson, Christie was subbed into the game as a forward and found the back of the net in the 90th minute for his first career OUA goal.

Ali Ghazanfari (Stouffville, Ont.) stopped each of the five shots that he faced for the win in net while a couple of RMC goalkeepers combined for 14 saves on 20 shots.

Sunday's match was the third straight game in which the Rams' goalkeeping duo of Praveen Ahilan (Unionville, Ont.) and Ghazanfari registered a clean sheet. Through eight contests, Ryerson has only allowed one goal against. That came on a penalty kick in a 4-1 win against the Carleton Ravens on September 11th. Their 0.13 GAA and seven clean sheets are both best in the country.

The Rams return to the pitch for a couple of road matchups in the middle of the week. They'll travel to Justin Chiu Stadium in Peterborough on Wednesday to face the Trent Excalibur (1-6-2). Following that contest, they'll take on the UOIT Ridgebacks (3-5-1) at Civic Fields in Oshawa on Thursday. Kick off for both games is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.

NOTES: Baker's four goal performance bumps his total this season to six. That puts him in a five-way tie that includes teammate Raheem Rose (Toronto) atop the OUA… With a couple of draws for the OUA West-leading York Lions (7-0-2) this weekend, the Rams are now the only team in the OUA (and the CIS) with a perfect record.

Source: Ryerson Rams

Mustangs earn hard-fought 1-1 draw with CIS No. 1 Lions

LONDON Ont. – A first-half goal from Christian Douglas and a strong performance in net from Ben Cowman helped the Western Mustangs earn a 1-1 draw with the CIS No. 1 York Lions on Sunday afternoon at Mustangs Field.

"I thought it was an evenly played game," said Mustangs head coach Rock Basacco. "They created a lot of opportunities, just as we did. I think it's a great credit to the guys, showing character to come back and get that goal after York went ahead 1-0. [I'm] very pleased with the performance."

With the tie, the Mustangs record moves to 4-2-3 on the year, and keeps them in third place in the OUA West Division, while the Lions stand at 7-0-2 on the season, and continue to lead the West.

Mustangs' fifth-year striker Christian Douglas helped the team to overcome the early 1-0 deficit by heading in the tying goal late in the first half, while being assisted by midfielder Amad El-Houni. El-Houni also made his mark by putting pressure on the Lions' defence, adding two shots on goal.

While Douglas provided the offence for the Mustangs, Cowman stood tall in net, stopping four shots in the win including a couple of highlight reel saves.

York came out of the gate aggressive, creating scoring chances off of two corner kicks within the first ten minutes of the match, yet key plays by Cowman and the Mustangs defence held off the initial attack. Despite the strong defence early, the Lions opened the scoring midway through the first half, leaving the Mustangs down 1-0. However, the Mustangs would quickly start an attack of their own, leading to the tying goal just ten minutes later.

Dynamic attacks from both teams would continue through the second half and into added time, yet neither would be able to capitalize, ending the match in a 1-1 tie.

Basacco praised Cowman for his performance in net, saying "Ben was outstanding in net. He has to be able to come out and challenge those balls that get played into the box because they're the most dangerous against us, and he did an exceptional job of that today."

Cowman was kept busy in the final minutes of the game, as York peppered the fifth-year goalie with shots.

"I was just trying to slow down the game," said Cowman. "They were all over us, so whenever I got the ball I just tried to calm everyone down."

The Mustangs will be back in action this Friday, September 30 when host the fifth-place MacMaster Marauders. The game is set to begin at 8:15 p.m. at Mustangs Field.

Source: Western Mustangs

Five goal explosion leads Carleton to victory

OTTAWA, ON — The Carleton men's soccer team erupted for five goals in a 5-0 shutout win over the Nipissing Lakers at MNP Park.

Midfielder Gordon Goodkey (Ottawa, ON) led the way with two strikes, including his game winning goal that was scored in the 7th minute of play. The goal was setup by sophomore Dante Cobisa (Ottawa, ON), whose nicely placed corner kick to the back post allowed Goodkey to run onto it and head it home past the Nipissing keeper.

The prolific Ravens were keen to add a second marker before halftime, as defender Weber Bourjolly (Ottawa, ON) finished off a rebound from a free kick for his first CIS goal in 39th minute to hand the home team a 2-0 lead.

It didn't take long for Carleton to add a third goal, as some great build-up play by the Ravens was rewarded when Goodkey redirected a Rowen Martino (Ottawa, ON) cross for his second tally of the day in the 48th minute.

In the 71st minute, Daud Dahir scored a sensational goal, when he took an inlet pass at the top of the box before flicking it past one defender, turning another Laker inside out with a masterful spin and finishing it off with a beautifully placed top-corner strike. The build-up skill and strike combo sent the home crowd into a frenzy, making it 4-0 for the Ravens.

Midfielder Tim Campos (Ottawa, ON) rounded out the scoring in the 89th minute by hitting a low diagonal shot past the Nipissing goalie for his second goal of the season.

Goalkeeper David Monk (Oakville, ON) had a relatively easy day between the sticks, making two saves to record the blank sheet.

The Ravens have been lighting up their opponents in recent weeks, scoring 23 goals over the span of their five-game win streak, while only allowing three goals against in the process.

Carleton (7-1-1) currently sits in second place in the OUA East division, with a visit to RMC (Sept. 30) and a home date against Queen's (Oct. 2) on the horizon.

Source: Carleton Ravens

Golden Hawks complete weekend sweep of Algoma

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. (September 25, 2016) - Thanks to a pair of first half goals, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men's soccer team completed a weekend sweep of the Algoma Thunderbirds with a 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon.

From the opening whistle, the Hawks defensive and offensive stability made it seem as though the men would mimic yesterday's successful performance and easily pick up a win. 

The likelihood of this prophecy coming true became much stronger midway through the first half, when Antonio Hecimovic (New Hamburg, Ont.) fed the foot of Aaron Johnston (Thunder Bay, Ont.), who then found the back of the Algoma net to give Laurier a 1-0 lead. 

The purple and gold then secured a 2-0 lead, with Hecimovic capturing a goal of his own in the final minute of the first 45.

Both goals were the first of their OUA careers for the first year Hawks.

Although the Hawks controlled much of the second half, evident by their five shots on goal compared to Algoma's one, the Thunderbirds were thirsty to extinguish Laurier's advantage. 

It was in the 60th minute when Algoma's Brandon Bangambee of Coquitlam, B.C., capitalized on the team's single shot, and fired the ball past Laurier goalkeeper Ryan Mandryk (Ancaster, Ont.), who had relieved starting goalkeeper Rocco Strazzella (Woodbridge, Ont.) in the first half. 

Thankfully, the purple and gold did not allow any further scoring opportunities and managed to finish the game with a 2-1 win over the Thunderbirds. 

Thanks to the two victories Laurier picked up this weekend, their record improves to 5-3-1 on the season, and bumps them up to second place in the OUA West Division with a total of 15 points.

As for Algoma, they fall to 0-9-1 on the season.

The Golden Hawks will be looking to maintain their winning streak on Wednesday night when they host their cross-town rivals, the Waterloo Warriors, at 8:15 p.m. at University Stadium.

Source: Laurier Golden Hawks

Gryphons win 2-1 over Lancers

WINDSOR, ON - Sunday afternoon in Windsor, the Gryphons men's soccer team won 2-1 over the Lancers. With the win, the Gryphons improve to 5-1-2 (wins-losses-draws) on the season. The Lancers fall to 3-4-2.

Third year centre back Conor O'Callaghan (North Vancouver, BC) was able to give the Gryphons a 1-0 lead on Sunday after heading home from a corner kick in the 27th minute. The Gryphons, who were comfortable in possession most of the day, were able to stretch their lead to 2-0 in the 62nd minute on Jalen Noronha's second goal of the season.

The Lancers were able to spoil the clean sheet when they converted from the spot in the 90th minute, but the outcome was never really in doubt. The Gryphons have now taken 13 out of a possible 15 points on the road this season.

They currently sit in 2nd place in the OUA West division and play each of their next four contests at home, beginning with winless Algoma (0-9-1) on October 1.

Source: Guelph Gryphons

Trio of goalscorers lead Mac past Waterloo 3-1

Contributions poured in Sunday, as the Marauders continued to climb back into their rightful spot among the elite of the OUA West division. Three different scorers helped propel McMaster to a 3-1 win over the Waterloo Warriors, their second straight victory on the road.

Chris Luxton, Karl Bicamumpaka and Pat Wilkon had goals for the Marauders (4-3-2), who sit fifth in the OUA West as the season enters its second half.

The lone Waterloo goal on the afternoon went to Christoph Bruckeder.

Wasting little time in grabbing hold of the match, the Marauders scored in just the 10th minute, as Luxton struck on an assist from winger Marco Gennaccaro.

Mac heaped on the misery just four minutes later, as Bicamumpaka doubled his team's lead on a feed from Yunus Mollayev.

Pegging the Marauders back, at least for the moment, Bruckeder halved the Warriors deficit in the 35th minute, giving the home side a measure of confidence at the break.

But the visitors snuffed that out quickly in the second 45, as Pat Wilkon completed the scoring on the day with a strike in the 54th to restore Mac's two-goal advantage.

NEXT UP: McMaster travels to London to battle the Western Mustangs on Friday, September 30, before returning to Ron Joyce Stadium for a Homecoming weekend clash with the Windsor Lancers on Sunday, October 2.

Source: McMaster Marauders

Ajhert scores two, Blues down Gaels

Fourth-year striker Anontio Ajhert scored two goals in leading the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's soccer team to a 4-0 victory over the Queen's Gaels on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 25) in Kingston, Ont.
 
With the win, the Blues are now 6-1-2 and in third place in the OUA East division, while the Gaels drop to 4-3-1 and sit fourth.
 
Team co-captain Lukas MacNaughton opened the scoring in the 37th minute, notching his fourth goal of the season.
 
Ajhert registered his first goal of the game just two minutes later and fellow veteran striker Nikolay Saveliev padded Toronto's lead in the 42nd minute to give the Blues a 3-0 advantage at the half.
 
Ajhert notched his second of match in the 55th minute to round out the scoring for the Blues.
 
Blues goalkeeper Mark Rogal posted five saves in the clean sheet win.
 
The Varsity Blues are back in action this Saturday, October 1 as they travel to Peterborough, Ont., to take on the Trent Excalibur. Game time is set for 3:15 p.m.

Source: Toronto Varsity Blues