Blown lead prevents perfect road trip

Loss to Ryerson mars record-breaking weekend

Two goals in the dying minutes spoiled the Gaels’ weekend trip to Toronto.

Facing the Ryerson Rams (2-5-0) Saturday afternoon, Queen’s (4-2-1) fell 3-2, as Ryerson came back from a 2-1 deficit by scoring twice in the final minutes of the game.

Ryerson’s Alex Rodkin netted both late goals in the comeback, starting with a penalty kick in the 89th minute. The loss marked the first time the Gaels had ever been defeated by the Rams in 28 years of competition.

The scoring opened early, as striker Jackie Tessier put the Gaels up 1-0 in the sixth minute. The lead wouldn’t last for long, though, as Ryerson’s Nicole Paiva took advantage of a defensive miscommunication to even the game up.

The 1-1 score held for the remainder of the half.

Brittany Almeida brought the Gaels in front in the 68th minute, potting her second of the campaign. At this point in the match, Ryerson began to bring offensive pressure after having played a mostly defensive style prior.

Rodkin converted on her penalty kick and then sealed the win with a last-second shot, beating Gaels keeper Madison Tyrell.

“[There’s] lots to learn from that game in terms of maturity and how to deal with that particular scenario,” head coach Dave McDowell said. “When you’re ahead and when you’re behind.”

The Gaels fared better in the second half of the weekend’s games, as they ran through the Toronto Varsity Blues (4-2-1) 4-0.

The win was especially sweet for Tessier, as a pair of goals gave her 54 for her career and moved her past Eilish McConville for the most in Gaels history.

McDowell said the performance against Toronto was Tessier’s best of the season.

“It’s the first time this year she’s truly looked like Jackie in all aspects of the game,” he said. “I thought she had a fantastic game defensively, offensively, all sort of statistical areas, she was good in them.”

Almeida added her second goal of the weekend, while striker Rachel Radu headed the ball home for a tally of her own. Tyrell was solid in net, keeping out all four shots she faced on the way to her league-leading fifth clean sheet of the year.

McDowell pointed towards the defence as the key in the team’s victory.

“I thought we defended well, which was good,” he said. “Once we won the ball back, I thought we were quick to counter.”

McDowell said the Gaels were looking at different parts of their set-up and finding out who gives the team the best chances.

“Some of our younger players have done very well,” he said. “We’re starting seven or eight first- or second-years every game so it’s been nice that kind of figured out.”

Queen’s travels to Oshawa on Saturday to face a UOIT squad that beat the Gaels 1-0 on Sept. 14, before hosting the Trent Excalibur the next day at Miklas-McCarney field.

Tags

Gaels, McDowell, Ryerson, Tessier, Toronto, Women's soccer

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