The Varsity Blues women’s soccer team dominated their season- and home-opener on August 31, beating the Royal Military College of Canada Paladins (RMC) 4–0 with an impressive second-half performance at the Varsity Arena. 

Prior to this game, riding a 19-game win streak against the Paladins, the Blues had an undefeated record of 25 wins, zero losses, and one draw against their opponent. With this game, the Blues extended their streak to 20 and secured their  26 total victories against the Paladins, kicking off the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) regular season with positive momentum.

What happened?

The Blues opened the game with calm and steady possession, controlling the ball along the backline. With a lack of pressure by the Paladins’ forwards, the Blues’ defense led by Taya Semeniuk and Bryanna Campbell led the patient build-up play along the halfway line in the first 10 minutes of the game. 

At the 14-minute mark, a deep free-kick from the Blues led to a one-on-one opportunity at the back post for captain and defender Hannah Chown, who saw her attempt saved at close range by Paladins goalkeeper Brianna West. Shortly after, Chown came through at the other end of the field as she made a clutch goal-line clearance after a misplay at the Blues’ backline, which was the RMC’s only chance of the first half. 

The Paladins struggled under the intense high defensive line pressure of the Blues forwards, who created multiple chances to break the deadlock but were thwarted by West’s undeniably heroic saves. Despite the home team controlling the vast majority of possession and shots, the first half ended with zeros on the board for both teams. 

The second half of the game saw the Blues continue their intense game style, with the high press rewarding the Blues with a bevy of early chances. The floodgates finally burst open at the 56-minute mark as Blues forward Marissa Castellano showed nifty footwork along the left wing before laying it off for fellow forward Julia Cristovao, who smashed the ball into the net after surging into the box. 

The goal saw the Blues grow in confidence, and at the 77-minute mark, forward Anne Yeomans added to the tally by converting winger Naomi Atem’s perfectly weighted cross cutting through the six-yard box, making the score 2–0. 

The onslaught continued, as less than two minutes later, Chown coolly converted a penalty earned by the surging run of Blues forward Hannah Harkin. Chown had an excellent all-round game, seemingly covering the entire left half of the pitch while contributing a team-high six shots from defense. 

Blues forward Natasha Budisa finished off the game at the 84-minute mark by converting a rebound from midfielder Antonia Figueroa’s shot. The game ended with the Blues firmly in control, putting up 29 attempted shots — 18 on goal — while RMC finished with just two attempts — one on goal — for a relatively untested and clean record for Blues goalkeeper Juliana Ottoni. 

What’s next?

The Blues continued their three-game home stand on September 6, as they hosted TMU Bold in a narrow 2–1 loss at the Varsity Stadium in the first ‘Line 1 derby’ of the year. The Blues look to build upon their clean performance and explosive attack as they prepare for the long OUA season ahead.