Weather conditions that forced most people to seek shelter at Tindall Field on Saturday afternoon were an afterthought for the women’s soccer team. The Gaels’ 3-1 win over the Carleton Ravens in the OUA quarter-final advances them to the OUA final four.
Goalkeeper Elena Corry said the Gaels noticed the wind and rain but were determined to defeat the Ravens despite it.
“It was pretty much like a monsoon,” she said. “But we controlled most of the play in terms of having it on the ground and having more chances then them.”
Corry said the game was a test of mental toughness.
“Playoff games come down to who has more heart and who’s willing to put more on the field,” she said. “We just talked about positive things and how we had to go out there and play our hearts out and that’s what we did.”
The 13-1-2 Gaels received a bye in the first week of the playoffs. After falling behind for the first time in 14 games by 1-0 at half-time, Queen’s came back in the second half to win.
Head coach Dave McDowell said falling behind in the first half was a valuable experience, after not having allowed a goal in 930 minutes, a little over 10 games.
“The question was, ‘How would we react to it?’,” he said. “I think they answered that question pretty well in the second half. We did a terrific job of coming back so it showed a lot of character. We’re all pretty pleased with the outcome.”
Queen’s midfielder Riley Filion tied the game 14 minutes into the second half. Forward Kelli Chamberlain scored the game-winner in the 74th minute and forward Renee MacLellan’s breakaway goal 10 minutes later added insurance.
McDowell said he addressed the team didn’t panic after being down 1-0 at the half.
“We just tried to be very positive with them,” he said. “We wanted to be very careful that we didn’t get into a situation where we were playing recklessly or with a panic. I think we knew that we could create some chances and if we finished them we’d be okay.”
The women’s soccer team will face the Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks in the OUA final four at York University on Saturday. The game begins at 11:30.
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.