On Sept. 5, the Queen’s women’s soccer team hosted the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold, taking home an action-packed 3-2 win. Two days later, they took on Toronto to face the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues away game of the season, dropping a 2-0 loss.
The game against TMU was full of drama and thrill. Just eight minutes into the game, Peyton Wynn, HealthSci ’29, shot from outside of the box, which went off the crossbar and in to give the Gaels the early lead.
In the 33rd minute, a breakdown of the Gaels’ play led to a quick attack from the Bold. Goaltender Ashley Strand, ArtSci ’27, stopped a great first chance for TMU’s Telaijah Folkes, but the ball slipped past, and Folkes was able to clean up the chance to tie the game.
Just before the end of the first half, a strike from Wynn bounced off a TMU defender and right into the feet of freshman phenom Victoria Hawkins, Kin ’29, who made no mistake scoring her chance past the diving goalkeeper.
After halftime, it didn’t take long for TMU to respond. A feed from Bold forward Aalayah Lully found the first-year star Folkes in the 55th minute. Folkes fought off the Gaels’ defense and fired a shot past Strand, putting the Bold back in the game.
88 minutes into the game, the stage was set for a hero to emerge. A beautifully placed cross from Mikaela Hunter, ArtSci ’29, found Hawkins, who headed the ball on goal. The ball bounced off the TMU goaltender Elisa Paolucci, bounced on the goal line, and was covered up by the goaltender, with many Bold defenders crossing their arms to indicate that the ball stayed out.
After much suspense, thanks to a lengthy discussion between the referee and assisting officials, the play was ruled a goal. Hawkins was the last-second hero for the Gaels, extending their winning streak to three, and totalling Hawkins’ four goals on the season.
Against the Varsity Blues, though, the cookie simply didn’t crumble in the Gaels’ favour.
The first half was tightly matched, with Queen’s successfully defending U of T’s middle-heavy offensive pushes with ease, and both teams tightly competing for every chance. The score remained at 0-0 after 45 minutes.
Just after the start of the second half, though, a great chance from U of T found its way on goal. The chance was successfully blocked by both goaltender Strand and defender Tatiana Kayrouz, Comm ’27. However, the ball slipped out of the goaltender’s possession before a swarm of Varsity Blues surrounded the two Gaels. While many fought for the ball, the goal ended up going to Toronto’s Anne Yeomans to give U of T the one-goal lead.
The play was met with plenty of debate from the Gaels on the field, who felt that the ball was illegally knocked out of Strand’s possession by U of T. However, replays showed that it was simply the result of an unlucky tangle between Kayrouz and Strand.
Just 11 minutes later, a heads-up play from Yeomans saw her slip past the Gaels’ defenders for a point-blank attempt that she sent into Queen’s net, putting the score at 2-0.
Despite playing an intense game for the rest of the match, Queen’s simply couldn’t come back from the deficit, and the score remained 2-0 for Toronto at full time. Strand made four saves in the match, while Kayrouz and Sam Caputo, HealthSci ’28, tied for a team-high two shots on goal apiece.
The Gaels left the weekend with a 3-1-0 record to start the season. Queen’s now places twelfth on U Sports’ Women’s Soccer rankings, down from tenth the week before.
The team will get to regroup at home, hosting Royal Military College at Richardson Stadium. The game will take place on Sept. 14, and the kickoff is at 3 p.m.
Tags
Ashley Strand, Mikaela Hunter, Peyton Wynn, tmu bold, Varsity Blues, Victoria Hawkins, Women's soccer
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