Game One vs. McMaster:
It was a glorious autumn afternoon to watch two undefeated teams square off on the picturesque back ten acres of the McMaster campus. U of T certainly controlled the game for most of the first half but seemed to lapse into a defensive mindset in the last ten minutes of the opening 45 and allowed the Mac girls to gain some offensive confidence.
Both teams squandered gift-wrapped scoring chances with hit cross bars and poor finishes. The goaltending on both sides was excellent and the fans fully expected a nil-nil draw.
But soccer is a strange game and the referee had yet to make his presence felt. With a minute and change left to play and that unknown “injury time” remaining, a rather innocent event that saw a hustling Mac player go down after bumping with Toronto’s lone defender within the penalty area resulted in a penalty kick for Mac; this, after the Toronto keeper was in possession of the ball.
It was fitting that the center referee had chosen to wear his “all blacks,” even though he hadn’t donned his lone-ranger mask. Mac scored on the penalty, although Andrea Tristao managed to tip it, but not enough to keep it from deflecting in off the left post.
This was a game that Toronto should have won, or at least managed a tie. The team needs to be more creative, more aggressive and hungrier around the opponent’s goal.
Soccer is a game that rewards the team that puts the ball in the net and the Blues have to be more consistent in this area of their game. Full marks though on this afternoon where, as the Mac assistant coach reportedly told Blues head coach, Beth McCharles, “You were robbed.”
Game Two vs Brock:
Another autumnal blaze on yet another back forty saw an injury-riddled women’s Blues soccer team reap the same harvest – a hard to take 1-nil defeat, this time at the hands of the Brock Badgers.
The referee did not allow Blues fourth-year veteran defender Donna Carvalhal, to play, as she was sporting a cast on her fractured arm. Strange that a few miles down the QEW and less than 24 hours earlier, the same player, with the same cast, was allowed to play an entire game.
Oh, the consistency of the Ontario Soccer Association referee fraternity.
Despite Carvalhal’s missed presence on defence, the girls gave Brock very few scoring chances, but they weren’t able to create many of their own. The game’s lone goal came off a Brock corner kick that saw the ball bounce around like it was caught in a pinball machine.
UofT pressed for the last 30 minutes of the game but couldn’t find the magic around the Brock net. Fourth year veteran Erin Osborne came close, as she rushed into the play from her defensive position, only to be lasooed and sandwiched by two Brock defenders well inside the penalty area.
The visitors were certainly deserving of a penalty, but not the way the referee saw it or, “perhaps,” chose not to see it.
Playing the next four games at home should help this talented team get back to form.
With five games remaining, first place is still possible.
The Varsity men fared better on the weekend, easily defeating McMaster and earning a 1-0 victory against Brock.
