The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s soccer team lost last Saturday to the Nipissing Lakers. The heartbreaking 2-0 loss ended Toronto’s spectacular four-game streak that saw them climb the national rankings to fourth in the CIS. It also ended their two-and-a-half week reign as the top-ranked team in the OUA as they fell to second behind the University of Ottawa.
The results at Education Centre Field are disappointing for the Blues. Toronto has built high expectations through the first half of their 14-game season, dominating their opponents in their last four. Undefeated at home with a 7-1 record, the Blues had proven to be a top contender in the OUA.
“It’s been a really great team effort,” explained interim head coach Eva Havaris on September 28 following the game against RMC. “The girls are really applying everything and everyone is stepping up all over the field. It makes it tougher for those teams coming in to play us. We have a fantastic group of girls; a very coachable group. When we have a game plan and a focus for the week, every single person is applying it.”
A defence-first mentality is a winning tactic for the team. It has proven to be the Blues strongest asset on the field and the toughest for their opponents to overcome. Prior to the game against Nipissing, they allowed only two goals in eight games played. In their game against the Royal Military College Paladins, the Blues completely shutdown their opponents as RMC failed to muster even a shot on goal all game.
“We’ve got some experienced players back there that are really solid,” said Coach Havaris. “They are committed to that defensive part of the game and all of them are playing as a unit right now.”
While the defence has always been strong for the Blues, their offensive game has shown remarkable growth. They outscored their opponents by a stunning 20-1 margin in the four games prior to Nipissing, compared to the 6-1 goal margin in the four games before that. Coach Havaris stressed that the team’s recent offensive surge coincided with the coaching staff’s plan for the season.
“We had an entire season planned as a coaching staff,” explained Coach Havaris. “For the first phase, we were focusing on our defence. We’re just finishing up our phase two now which was all about our transition game and our finishing. For the last two and a half weeks what you are seeing is a product of our practices and our game plan.”
Even with Saturday’s loss, the Blues are well positioned to receive a first-round bye in post-season quarterfinal action and a chance to finish first overall in the OUA. With only five games remaining in the regular season, the players are looking eagerly towards an opportunity to have home field advantage in the quarterfinals and possibly the finals.
“[The playoffs are] definitely not in the back of our minds, it’s definitely in the front and that’s all that we really want to do,” said rookie forward Jennifer Siu. “And we’re going to work extremely hard, [and do] whatever it takes to get there and win.”
“It’s in the back of our minds, yes of course, but as a staff that’s not our focus,” said Coach Havaris, who was quick to emphasize that she was still taking things one game at a time. “Our focus is to get to that next point that we want to get to as a team. The biggest part is that we’re on track for what we want to achieve by the end of the season. Now we’re entering phase three of our plan.”
