Ottawa, Queen’s look to hold off challengers in OUA women’s soccer

Toronto, Ont. (via Ben Steiner) - Dominance has been the key in OUA women’s soccer the last two seasons.

Two teams, the Ottawa Gee-Gees and Queen’s Gaels, have been strides above the rest. Yet, there will be pressure on them this season, with the rising Western Mustangs coming off a U SPORTS bronze medal and a deep pool of potential challengers, headlined by the York Lions, Toronto Varsity Blues, and McMaster Marauders.

All this with the domestic professional opportunity forthcoming, and the six Northern Super League teams from coast to coast all likely keeping an eye on the talents within the conference.

With the season set to kick off Thursday, here are a couple storylines to watch.

Ottawa and Queen’s look to continue reign

No teams in OUA soccer have hit the levels of the Gee-Gees and Gaels over the last two seasons, with the two powerhouses meeting in last year’s championship match. While the Western Mustangs have proven a worthy challenger, as semifinalists two years running, the Gee-Gees and Gaels find themselves a notch above the rest.

With key talents returning to Ottawa and Kingston, that trend might stick around, too.

For the Gee-Gees, it’s all about experience and making the most of the final year with Cassandra Provost, who comes in with 48 goals in 32 career games and off a season where she scored a record-breaking 23.

Helping her will be another season of Nibo Dlamini, who returns for her fourth year with the Gee-Gees after contributing to their 11th OUA title with an OUA first team all-star campaign. Often playing deeper than Provost and providing linkup to the target striker, Dlamini had 12 assists last season in Ottawa’s title-winning year.

For head coach Steve Johnson’s team, though, finally breaking through at the national championship with this group is a critical next step. They’ve got the best goal-scorer in the country, and there’s little reason to bet against them capturing their first national title since 2018.

Meanwhile, the window of contention continues for the Gaels.

Even without the Naihin sisters, Leda and Vita, who combined for 14 goals last season, Queen's will continue to push Mattson Strickler, Seema Sakran, Lily Goss, and Devon Eisen take on veteran roles. Strickler, in particular, is an attacking force, with 13 goals in as many contests last season, often linking up with Sakran - with that duo creating an OUA-leading 86 shots in 2023.

Defensively, goalkeeper Kirstin Tynan returns after a strong season that saw her allow just three goals in 13 starts. Through the summer, she continued to perform well for the TSS Rovers in League 1 BC, as they also improved in a competitive league.

There will undoubtedly be challengers, and OUA soccer isn’t easy. Still, for another season, the Gee-Gees and Gaels look destined to be conference and national championship contenders.

Toronto Varsity Blues look to take the next step

Breaking into title contention in the OUA will be challenging, given the strengths of Queen’s, Ottawa, and Western, but the Toronto Varsity Blues might have what it takes.

After winning bronze at the U SPORTS Championship in 2019, the Varsity Blues have been building on a new generation of players and look set to take the next step this fall.

Coming into 2024 off a 2023 season that saw them finish 5th in the OUA East at 6-4-2, the Varsity Blues have depth in nearly every position and ended their last campaign with a four-game regular season win streak, all of which were clean sheets.

Three-time OUA all-star Hannah Chown is back for another season and anchors a backline that will look to improve on its 15 goals against in 12 games and further channel the form they showed in the final four games without conceding a goal.

"The energy and commitment from everyone is palpable, and it's clear that together we're striving towards one common goal: finishing this season with two more medals than we started with,” Chown said. “Our expectation is to compete in every match and to grow together as a group."

While Chown led the team, scoring eight goals from the back in 2023, the program also welcomes back top-scoring forward Anne Yeomans. She returns for her fourth season leading the line and is looking to build on her four-goal season.

Aiding the Varsity Blues this season will be two veteran additions: former Concordia Stingers midfielder Bryanna Campbell, who captained the Stingers during her four years in the RSEQ, and Burnaby, BC midfielder Maddy Mah, who enters the fold as a 22-year-old rookie after two standout seasons with League 1 BC’s TSS Rovers.

It’s been a full varsity cycle since the Varsity Blues were the last contenders in the OUA, but the 2024 season looks promising, especially with a schedule that starts off with opponents who finished below them in the standings last season.