M-SOCCER ROUNDUP: Rams extend unbeaten steak to 31 regular season games
Fifth-year veteran Viktor Anastasov had two goals as the No. 7 Ryerson Rams men's soccer team blanked the host Carleton Ravens 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Photo by Winston Chow
Saturday, September 6
Ryerson 4 @ Carleton 0
OTTAWA – Fifth-year veteran Viktor Anastasov had two goals as the No. 7 Ryerson Rams men's soccer team blanked the host Carleton Ravens 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The Rams leading goal scorer Marko Miketic gave the Rams a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute with a header off a corner kick. Anastasov would get his first of the afternoon just two minutes later as the Rams took a 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
Anastasov would put it out of reach, making it 3-0 early in the second half. Raheem Rose netted his first career OUA goal in the 83rd minute when he spun off a defender and fired a low shot past the Carleton keeper.
Keeper Christian Maraldo recorded the clean sheet for Ryerson.
With the win the Rams extend their regular season unbeaten streak to 31 consecutive games without a loss.
Laurentian 1 @ Queen's 2
KINGSTON, Ont. - The Gaels walked away victorious on Saturday afternoon after Jacob Schroeter (Ottawa) scored the decisive goal in the 74th minute.
The men played well from the start of the match, generating scoring chances early and often. Henry Bloemen (Toronto) led the offensive charge, eventually capitalizing on a great pass from Tommy Hong (Oakville, Ont.) to open the scoring in the 43rd minute. The Gaels were stellar on defence, surrendering no shots on goal in the first half to make starting keeper Maxfield Materne's (Toronto) job easy.
Laurentian quickly tied the game as Omar Allison converted on a penalty kick in the 52nd minute, scoring on replacement Queen's keeper Taylor Reynolds (Kingston, Ont.). Reynolds didn't take long to bounce back, as he robbed Laurentian of two fantastic scoring chances soon after. The match became a back-and-forth affair as both squads looked to pull ahead. Schroeter found the back of the net in the 74th minute when he buried his third goal of the season on a fantastic cross from Oliver Coren (Toronto, Ont.) to put Queen's ahead for good, as the Gaels held on for the 2-1 victory.
Nipissing 8 @ RMC 0
KINGSTON, Ont. - In search of their first win of the season, the Nipissing Lakers men's soccer team came up huge against the RMC Paladins.
Entering the game with a 0-1-1 record, the Lakers dominated from start to finish and picked up an 8-0 victory Saturday afternoon.
Neil Van de Walle and Andy Bago both scored twice to lead the Lakers attack.
Van de Walle's first came just 11 minutes into the game. Jean Michel Paulin made it 2-0 just three minutes later and Ryan Mantle scored to make it 3-0 and put the game out of hand.
The Lakers had a gameplan in place and stuck to it for the entire 90 minutes and it resulted in a win.
Despite being in complete control of the game in the second half, the Lakers stuck with their plan, executed and cruised to the win.
Grainger Munro picked up the win in goal for the Lakers.
Guelph 1 @ McMaster 1
Hamilton, Ont. – Both sides were left rueing missed chances on Saturday, as an action-packed match between the Marauders and Gryphons ended in a 1-1 draw at Ron Joyce Stadium.
A missed spot kick in the dying stages on Saturday may haunt Mark Reilly for some time. The Marauder forward had a glorious opportunity to put his side ahead in the 87th minute, but was turned aside by Gryphon goalkeeper Ben Caranci.
Nate Morris was the lone goalscorer for the Marauders, while Tim Flynn responded with the only tally for the Gryphons. The result was McMaster's second draw in as many games this season.
The first quality chance of the match fell to Guelph in the 19th minute, when McMaster goalkeeper Angelo Cavalluzzo was forced to rush out and save a point-blank effort after an incisive through ball.
Winger Gersi Xhuti created an opportunity at the other end in the 27th minute, expertly taking down a forward lob and knocking past his defender, before planting a low shot into the side netting.
Momentum swung again in the 35th, when the Marauders were forced to clear a weak Gryphon effort off the goal line to maintain the scoreless draw. Before the referee blew the halftime whistle, Abraham James stung Caranci's hands with a low shot, but the keeper kept the ball well under control.
11 minutes after the interval, McMaster found their opening, when Morris latched onto a well-weighted through ball and chipped a shot past Caranci and just inside the far post. But the match was level once again just four minutes later, when Flynn manufactured a fantastic free kick from the edge of the McMaster box. The Gryphon took the set piece from the right, and drove the ball high and just inside the far post, and past the outstretched hands of Cavalluzzo.
It was the Gryphon defence's turn to clear a ball off the line in the 83rd minute, as David Serafini hit a hard, low drive from the edge of the area.
Reilly had the best chance of any to break the deadlock just three minutes from full time, after a clumsy challenge in the Guelph box brought the verdict of a spot kick. The usually sure-footed forward was outdueled by Caranci however, who guessed right to dive across and deny the shot. He could only watch as Marco Gennaccaro then proceeded to blaze the rebound well over the net.
Windsor 3 @ Brock 0
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - The Brock University men's soccer team (0-1-2 OUA) were shutout 3-0 by the visiting Windsor Lancers Saturday afternoon at Brock Badgers Field.
In the opening half, both teams battled hard with each team getting a key scoring chance. Windsor's Jack Sergeant caught Brock goalkeeper Jake Sweetzer out of the goal and sailed one in from over 45 yards out which Sweetzer made an outstanding recovery save on tipping it over the crossbar. The Badgers key chance was from the foot of Eseosa Agbonwaneten who drilled a bullet just over the crossbar from 22 yards out keeping it deadlocked 0-0 after 45 minutes.
Early in the second half, Windsor would add two goals just a minute apart as Bobby Evans ('47) and Kyle Ruggaber ('48) buried goals right on the doorstep for their first of the campaign. In the 68th minute, Ruggaber added his second goal of the game drilling home a cross from Chris Lanni to put the Lancers up 3-0.
In goal, Windsor starter Sam Atkin registered six saves for the victory. Sweetzer collected three saves dropping his season record to 0-1-2.
Trent 0 @ OUIT 0
OSHAWA, Ont. - The UOIT Ridgeback men's soccer team played to a 0-0 draw against the Trent Excalibur in early OUA conference play on Saturday afternoon at Vaso's Field.
UOIT goalkeeper Travis Martin proved to be a defensive force in the game, turning away every shot he faced to earn his first shutout of the season.
The first half had a high intensity along with very physical play, as Trent committed 11 fouls and was carded four times. The Ridgebacks' offence were stringing passes together and creating opportunities but couldn't find the back of the net.
The second half saw both UOIT and Trent trade shots with both teams looking for the win and making it a very evenly matched game. The Ridgeback backline stayed strong while working hard to earn the shutout while the offensive front continued to press late, putting pressure on Trent's back four.
UOIT has earned points in two of three games but still have not produced a victory as they are 0-1-2 on the year. Trent is 0-2-1 in three games, one point behind the Ridgebacks.
York 11 @ Algoma 1
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – The York University Lions men's soccer team continued its solid start to the 2014 campaign with a dominant 11-1 victory over the Algoma Thunderbirds on Saturday.
The win improved the team's record to 2-0-1 on the year. The Thunderbirds, who are new to the OUA this season, fell to 0-3-0 with the loss.
Seven different players scored in the victory, with Ernesto Gaita (North York, Ont.), Dena Iezady (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Matt Stinson (Toronto) and Eric Amato (Toronto) each netting a pair of goals.
Henry Moody (Toronto), Jarek Whiteman (Brampton, Ont.) and Pierre Grenier (Paris, France) netted one each to round out the scoring.
Laurier 2 @ Western 2
LONDON, Ont. – The Mustangs took advantage of a couple of Laurier penalties to keep their undefeated streak rolling on Saturday, earning a 2-2 tie against the Golden Hawks at Mustangs Field.
Both teams started out strong, looking equally matched both offensively and defensively. It would be the Golden Hawks who would strike first, with Anastasios Sitaridis netting the game's first goal thirty minutes into the half.
As the purple and white pushed back, Laurier began to make key mistakes, with both Tahrik Rodrigues and Luca Pietropolo earning yellow cards. Pietropolo's yellow was drawn in the box-- giving the Mustangs a penalty shot-- and Western made the most of their opportunity, with Alex Lewis firing a shot past goalkeeper Julien John to tie up the game.
Entering the second half the Mustangs dominated offensively, leading to yet another yellow card for the Golden Hawks. Western managed to take advantage once again, as Parker Seymour punished Laurier with a strike to the back of the mesh. The Mustang's lead did not last long, however, as Laurier's Nichola Merocovich was able to tie the game with fifteen minutes left in the match.
Despite a valiant effort by Western to recapture their lead, the purple and white were unable to break through the tough Laurier defense. After the game, Mustangs head coach Rock Basacco noted that despite the good opportunities, Western needs to focus on finishing in the box—something he plans to work on with the team for their upcoming games.
Sunday, September 7
Nipissing 0 @ Queen's 2
KINGSTON, Ont. – The Queen's men's soccer team took advantage of early scoring opportunities as they earned a 2-0 victory over Nipissing on Sunday afternoon at Tindall Field.
The Gaels struck early in their game against Nipissing as Conor Hannigan (Victoria) buried a header off a free kick from Oliver Coren (Toronto) in the 4th minute of the game. It did not take long for the team to convert another scoring opportunity as Jacob Schroeter (Ottawa) deposited a fantastic strike to the bottom corner nine minutes later. Schroeter has now scored in two consecutive games for the Gaels. Keeper Max Materne (Toronto) registered four saves in the half before he was replaced by Taylor Reynolds (Kingston, Ont.) who made two saves of his own.
The second half of the match was dominated by great defence and stellar goaltending from both squads. Neither team could find the back of the net as both keepers stood their ground. The Gaels were able to limit Nipissing to two shots in the half as they cruised to a 2-0 victory.
Laurentian 0 @ RMC 1
Kingston, Ont. – Brayden Roy scored the game's only goal in the 47' minute to give RMC a 1-0 victory. Tobin Semple stopped all three Laurentian shots to preserve a shutout.
York 9 @ Algoma 0
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – he York University Lions men's soccer team posted its second straight lopsided victory over the Algoma Thunderbirds on Sunday (Sept. 7), winning by a score of 9-0 at Superior Heights Field.
Jarek Whiteman (Brampton, Ont.) opened the scoring in the 16th minute and added his second of the contest in the 45th minute to lead the Lions. He also assisted on the game's second goal, which came off the foot of Jonathan Lao (Unionville, Ont.).
Also netting a pair of goals in the contest were Joey Cicchillo (North York, Ont.) and Domenic Gullo (Newmarket, Ont.). Cicchillo scored back-to-back tallies in the 48th and 66th minutes, and Gullo turned the same trick later in the second half by scoring in the 76th and 88th minutes.
Rounding out the scoring were Matt Arnone (Woodbridge, Ont.) and Omari Morris (Ajax, Ont.)
Andrew D'Souza (Mississauga, Ont.), making the first CIS start of his career, made three saves in 90 minutes of action to earn the cleansheet.
The win improved the team's record to 3-0-1 on the year, putting them in second place in the OUA West Division after two weeks of the season.
Toronto 1 @ Carleton 2
OTTAWA – The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's soccer team fell 2-1 to the Carleton Ravens on Sunday, September 7 in Ottawa.
With the loss, the Blues drop to 2-2-1 on the season.
Carleton opened the scoring in the 15th minute as Walker Smith slotted the ball into an open Toronto net.
The Blues evened the score in the dying minutes of the first half as Nirun Sivananthan sent a wide-angled shot into the bottom right corner.
The game was deadlocked at 1-1 at the half.
Both Toronto and Carleton were rewarded penalty kicks in the second half. U of T's Kilian Elkinson came oh so close to putting the Blues ahead in the 63rd minute, but his shot rang off the post.
Five minutes later, Ravens striker Marco Pozzi buried his opportunity for the eventual game-winner.
Windsor 0 @ McMaster 3
HAMILTON, Ont. – Showing the cutting edge they had lacked the day before, the Marauders ran roughshod over the Windsor Lancers in a 3-0 romp on Sunday.
Nate Morris, Gersi Xhuti and Mark Reilly each had goals for McMaster, in a game filled with scoring chances and attacking thrust. The victory is the Marauders' first of the young OUA season, improving their conference record to 1-0-2.
The hosts were firing on all cylinders from the opening whistle, and came close to an early opener when a long range effort blazed over the bar following a well-worked layoff pass in just the second minute. Xhuti, who wreaked creative havoc on the Windsor backline throughout Sunday's game, produced his first incisive through ball on nine minutes, with Morris being flagged for offside as he sprang loose of coverage.
The veteran winger continued to boss play in the first half, and nearly had a goal of his own in the 20th minute when his drive from a set piece slammed into the far post and bounced clear. He was back under centre just two minutes later, playing a perfectly-weighted ball for Sasha Ricciuti, whose chip caught the Windsor keeper in no-man's land, but floated agonizingly high of the bar.
Xhuti's attacking efforts were finally rewarded in the 35th minute, when he drove wide of his defender and squared the ball across the box, and the duo of Riccuiti and Morris crashed the scene, with the latter poking the ball past the keeper for the game's first goal.
McMaster struck for the second time just minutes after the resumption of play in the second half, as Xhuti added a goal of his own. Halftime addition Mark Reilly rounded his marker along the right and crossed into the box, where Xhuti applied the finish to double his team's advantage in the 48th minute.
Momentum was firmly in the Marauders' corner after that second goal, and a flurry of chances followed for a third. Reilly was the point man for several of those, and saw a close range shot turned onto the post by the keeper in the 69th minute.
But he remained dilligent, and his deserved breakthrough came in spectacular fashion just eight minutes later, as Reilly successfully took on five defenders, drove wide and cut a shot back across goal that beat the keeper inside the near post.
Defender Aleks Vincic nearly added a fourth in the game's dying stages, getting his head to a Marauder set piece and forcing a diving save from the beleaguered Lancer keeper in the 90th minute.
But Reilly's outstanding effort would stand as the game's final goal, as McMaster grabbed all three points in emphatic fashion against a tough Windsor side, one that knocked the Marauders out of the playoffs a season ago.
Laurier 1 @ Guelph 2
GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons mens' soccer team defeated the visiting Laurier Golden Hawks 2-1 at the Gryphon Soccer Complex Sunday. The Gryphons' move to 2-0-2 on the season while the Golden Hawks fall to 1-2-1.
The Gryphons hit the ground running and put the pressure on right away and were rewarded with their first goal in the 25th minute when midfielder Zachary Rushe (Mississauga, Ont.) found the top corner of Laurier's net. Guelph's strong passing and offensive tenacity resulted in 14 total shots on net, with Laurier only managing seven.
Guelph had several close calls in the second half, including a shot off the goalpost by Stephen Veenema (Ottawa) followed by a rebound off the crossbar by Ethan Danielli (Guelph, Ont.).
The Hawks scored to tie the game in the 72nd minute but the Gryphons were persistent and Jared Agyemang (Brampton, Ont.) scored the game-winning goal off a rebound in the 90th and final minute of play.
Western 1 @ Brock 0
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - The Brock University men's soccer team (0-1-3 OUA) gave the Western Mustangs (4-0-1 OUA) all they could handle Sunday afternoon dropping a tough 1-0 decision at home.
The young Badgers squad played the Mustangs even until the 67th minute when Adam Jaekel put a header past the hands of Brock starter Matthew Zaikos which would prove to be the eventual game winner.
The Badgers best chance to even the game came in the 76th minute when newcomer Johannes Kendl beat two Western defenders and rattled one off the inside of the left goal post.
The foul filled affair saw both teams combine for 20 fouls and four yellow cards. Eseosa Agbonwaneten and Philip Kealey were issued yellow cards for Brock while Western's Parker Seymour and Adam Jaekel collected cards.
In goal, Mustangs starting goalkeeper Mike Filopovic recorded all four shots he faced for the shutout. In his season debut, Zaikos collected five saves on six shots in the loss.
