No. 1 Mustangs gear up to host OUA women's soccer Final Four
The action gets underway on Friday with the Laurier Golden Hawks facing the Carleton Ravens at 5 p.m. followed by the CIS No. 1 Western Mustangs hosting the Queen’s Gaels at 7 p.m. The winners of Friday’s games will meet on Sunday at 2 p.m. to determine the OUA champion, while the Bronze Medal game takes place earlier in the day at 11 a.m. All four games will take place at Western’s Outdoor Sports Complex, located south of TD Stadium. Fans can park free of charge at the TD Stadium parking lot.
The Western Mustangs will host the championship after finishing the regular season with an undefeated 11-0-5 record to finish first in the OUA west division and then beating out Guelph in a quarter-final matchup last weekend.
The Western Mustangs boast two major award winners and six all-stars on their roster. Defender Jenna White (Winnipeg, Man.) was named rookie of the year when the OUA announced the major awards yesterday. The first-year defender logged major minutes for the Mustangs; she started in all 16 regular contests and scored one goal. Joining her on the all-star team are second-year goalkeeper Tori Edgar (Oakville, Ont.), third-year midfielder Tianna Deluzio (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.), rookie striker Amanda Boyle (Vaughan, Ont.), second-year forward Lauren Winquist (London, Ont.) and rookie midfielder Jess Friend (Bowmanville, Ont.). The Mustangs are led by 2013 OUA west coach of the year Martin Painter.
The Mustangs and the Gaels last met in the third place game of the ‘Old Four’ tournament in August. Western recorded a 1-0 victory in the preseason matchup.
Joining Western as OUA west division representatives are the CIS No. 10 Laurier Golden Hawks. The Golden Hawks finished in second place in the division with a 9-3-4 record and advanced to the Final Four by defeating UOIT in the quarter-finals.
Two-time OUA west player of the year Emily Brown (Waterloo, Ont.) led the league in scoring for the second year in a row and will be one to watch this weekend. The Golden Hawk striker is supported by all-star teammates Kelsey Tikka (Thunder Bay, Ont.), Julie Maheu (Oakville, Ont.), Katie Bishop (Surrey, B.C.) and Sarah Farano (Oakville, Ont.).
From the east, the Carleton Ravens and the Queen’s Gaels have each earned a place in the Final Four after knocking out the top two teams in the quarter-finals. The Ravens finished the regular season in third place in their division with a record of 9-3-4 before beating out Toronto to earn a championship berth.
The Carleton Ravens are anchored by senior defender and three-time all-star Briana De Souza (Toronto). All-star midfielders Veronica Mazella (Sudbury, Ont.) Adrianna Ruggiero (Markham, Ont.) and Nicole Filipow (Edmonton, Alta.) provide control and goal-scoring power for the win-hungry Ravens.
The Gaels trailed the Ravens in the standings and ended the regular season with a record of 7-2-7 before upsetting then No. 1 Ottawa in the quarter-finals to advance to the Final Four.
Queen’s all-star midfielders Riley Filion (Alexandria, Ont.) and Alexis McKinty (Burlington, Ont.) threaten opponents with their speed and play making abilities. They’re supported by an all-star defensive duo in Micah Vermeer (Grimsby, Ont.) and Melissa Jung (Mississauga, Ont.).
Stay tuned to OUA.ca for recaps and scores of the OUA women’s soccer Final Four championship.
OUA Final Four
Game 1 Friday, Nov. 1 @ 5 p.m. – Laurier vs. Carleton
Game 2 Friday, Nov. 1 @ 7 p.m. – Western vs. Queen’s
Bronze Medal Sunday, Nov. 3 @ 11 a.m. – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Championship Final Sunday, Nov. 3 @ 2 p.m. – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2