HAMILTON (November 1, 2014) - The No. 4 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's soccer team will not be able to repeat as OUA Champions in 2014 as they lost 1-0 in extra time to the No. 1 Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday afternoon.
It was déjà vu for the Hawks as just like their last meeting in the OUA gold medal game two years ago in Ottawa, the Gee-Gees got the better of the purple gold thanks to an extra time marker. This time around, the hero for the Gee-Gees was 2014 OUA East MVP Pilar Khoury of Ottawa, as she scored the difference maker in the 94th minute to send her team to the gold medal game against the No. 5 Western Mustangs.
The loss means Laurier will play for bronze and the final of three OUA spots at the CIS Championship on Sunday morning against the No. 6 UOIT Ridgebacks.
“Truthfully, in the first half, we weren't very good,” said Laurier co-captain Kelsey Tikka of Thunder Bay, Ont. “It took us about 35 minutes to get started but once we came out for the second half, we came out flying; just a few things didn't go our way so it was unfortunate.”
In another entertaining game between two of the top teams in the country, the Gee-Gees took advantage of Laurier's slow start and pressed for much of the opening half. However, keeper Maggie Carmichael of Orono, Ont., was there to deny every opportunity, including a golden chance for Ottawa defender Alexie Morin-Holland of Ottawa. Morin-Holland dribbled her way to just outside the six-yard box near the side of the net and curled a shot that seemed destined for the top corner. Carmichael, though, was able to extend up and deflect the ball over the crossbar.
The second half saw Carmichael bail out her teammates once again early on. In the 56th minute, the Gee-Gees were awarded a penalty kick but Carmichael dove to her left to keep the game scoreless.
In the 80th minute, the game appeared to turn in Laurier's favour as Julia Francki of Orleans, Ont., was shown a red card after colliding hard with Carmichael.
Up a man, the Hawks pressed and in the 89th minute, they were rewarded with a penalty kick of their own. Midfielder Katie Bishop of Surrey, B.C., stepped up to the spot but her attempt sailed over the bar, and sent the game into extra time.
The deciding play came just four minutes into the first half of overtime as Katherine Bearne of Halifax, took possession of the ball for Ottawa just shy of midfield and sent a beautiful lob pass to a streaking Khouri. With the Laurier defender cleanly beat, Carmichael came out to challenge Khouri as she approached the top of the 18-yard box. Showing the scoring touch of a player that finished third in league scoring, Khouri chipped the ball perfectly over Carmichael into the back left corner of the net.
Although the Hawks missed out on their chance to defend their OUA banner from 2013, there is still plenty on the line when the Hawks meet the Ridgebacks on Sunday morning for OUA bronze and Tikka believes her team will be ready.
“I'm hoping that we come out a little bit more calm and collected,” commented Tikka when asked how the Hawks will play on Sunday. “We've played this team multiple times before with them being in our division last year so I think we're a little bit more ready for it. We got the nerves out of our system today and we're going to come out flying tomorrow.”
Kickoff in the bronze medal game is set for 10 a.m. at Ron Joyce Stadium. The game will be webcast live on OUA.tv.
- with files from the OUA
