Ridgebacks look to right the ship against fellow powerhouse Gee-Gees
Oshawa, Ont. - After combining for just a single loss a season ago, two of the top teams in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) – the Ottawa Gee-Gees and UOIT Ridgebacks – are going toe-to-toe in this week's Marquee Matchup, powered by Planters, with the hopes of grabbing a momentum-building win early in their 2018 season.
After ranking first and third in the OUA's East Division, respectively, over the past two years, the Ridgebacks and Gee-Gees have proven that they are among the conference's elite, and both have high hopes as they continue the early stages of this year's championship quest. The path won't be an easy one; however, as the smooth-playing squads must go head-to-head in just the second week of the year; doing so after very different opening weekends.
The Ridgebacks, who went undefeated just a season ago, were dealt back-to-back losses to kick off their campaign, dropping a pair of one-goal decisions to the Ryerson Rams and Toronto Varsity Blues, respectively. But while the start hasn't been ideal, the Ridgebacks remain a threat to win every time they step on to the pitch, and they'll look to do just that when they duel the Gee-Gees.
Second-year forward Alexis Kirton (Pickering, Ont.) notched the only goal of the Ridgebacks' season to date – the first of her OUA career – and is no stranger to success on the provincial stage. The 2017 second-team all-star has made the switch from defender this season, and is looking to be a key figure in the team's scoring attack this time around.
Joining Kirton in the attack are talented veterans Taijah Henderson (Ajax, Ont.) and Katherine Koehler-Grassau (Greely, Ont.). The former totaled 10 goals a season ago, part of the team's fourth-ranked scoring attack (34 goals), and is surely looking to top that impressive output this year for the Ridgebacks. Koehler-Grassau, meanwhile, enters her fifth season as a well-decorated member of the squad, and the midfielder will look to translate her award-worthy play into her best season yet to bring the Ridgebacks back to championship weekend.
The talent doesn't stop up front; however, as third-year defender Lauren Bea (Burnaby, B.C.) is ready to make waves as a key piece on the backline, while fifth-year goalkeeper Victoria Savage (Woodbridge, Ont.) returns between the pipes after coming off a conference-leading 14 wins and nine clean sheets in 2017.
Savage will be one of the many Ridgebacks who will have to be on their A-game come Sunday; however, as the Gee-Gees gallop in with one of the conference's most dynamic offences thus far. After scoring 40 goals a season ago and peppering the opposition with a league-leading 140 shots on goal, Ottawa has picked up right where they left off. The garnet and grey have found the back of the net six times in their two contests to lead the OUA in that regard, helped in large part by Mikayla Morton (Coutrice, Ont.), whose hat trick sparked the team's 5-0 win over Laurentian.
Alongside Morton, a pair of seniors has provided the rest of the year's offence en route to their 1-0-1 record. Delaney Rickert-Hall (Waterloo, Ont.) and Katherine Bearne (Halifax, N.S.), a Top 8 Academic All-Canadian a season ago, have scored twice and once, respectively, showing quite clearly that they are back to help guide the Gee-Gees toward another championship push.
All-in-all, the Gee-Gees boast six OUA all-stars – including midfielder Katerin Delev (Chelsea, Ont.), defender Cooper Lee (Toronto, Ont.), and goalkeeper Margot Shore (Ottawa, Ont.) – that have returned to the squad this season. This roster allows them to flood the field with talent from the net out – as evidenced by their ranks a year ago that placed them third in the conference in scoring and in shutouts – and surely makes them a continued team to watch in Ontario alongside their East Division foes, UOIT.
Certainly, there is talent on both sides of the ball, as evidenced by the combined one loss from a season ago. In fact, it was the Ridgebacks who doled out Ottawa's lone loss in 2017 – also in an early-season duel – with Henderson netting the game's only goal in the 81st minute to seal the outcome. The two teams would also meet in their regular seasons' penultimate match, playing to a scoreless draw.
The ingredients are there for both teams to not only win what should be a closely-contested game, but to make a serious push for a championship this season. With the experience and pedigree on both sides of the ball, fans are in store for a terrific 90 minutes on Sunday at 1:00pm when the Gee-Gees and Ridgebacks kick off, with all the action unfolding at Vaso's Field in Oshawa.
