By: Mason Bugaresti
The Carleton Ravens women’s soccer team continued their fabulous run of form on Sunday earning their fifth-straight win in the league 4-0 over the TMU Bold in their final game of the 2022 regular season.
The Ravens scored right from the opening kickoff in this one putting themselves up 1-0 before the TMU Bold had a chance to even touch the ball. Chloe Doherty (Ottawa, Ont.) came flying down the right-wing before playing a ball into the box which found Chloe Doiron (Dieppe, N.B.) who slotted it home to give Carleton the early lead less than 20 seconds into the match.
Doiron stayed engaged the whole first half, leading the way for Carleton’s attack. In the 12th minute, her spectacular backheel attempt was just cleared off the goal line by the TMU defence.
She was not done there as minutes later in the 18th minute Doiron would strike a stunning free kick which found the top-corner putting the Ravens up 2-0 inside 20 minutes.
The Bold began to find their footing as the half went on, producing a couple chances just before the half. Carleton goalkeeper Chloe Lachance-Soulard (Ottawa, Ont.) made a massive save in stoppage time of the first half, protecting Carleton’s two-goal lead going into halftime. Lachance-Soulard entered this match with the OUA’s fifth-best save percentage at .822% on the season.
Carleton’s defence put on a masterclass in the second half as the team fought to protect the two-goal advantage. TMU were unable to create chances through the midfield with the Ravens quickly collapsing on the ball while the Bold were in possession. The best chance of the half for the Bold was a 62nd minute free kick which Lachance-Soulard made a strong save on.
The Ravens would add a late one off a corner kick as Lauren Illman (Whitby, Ont.) finished the set-piece opportunity for Carleton. Illman would go on to score her second on the day in stoppage time to make it 4-0. Carleton goalkeeper Julia MacDonald (Hammonds Plains, N.S.) entered the game with less than five minutes remaining, making her first appearance as a Raven in this one.
With the win, the Ravens finish fourth in the OUA-east and will host a first-round playoff matchup with the Nipissing Lakers. Carleton won the only matchup between the Ravens and Lakers 1-0 back on Sept. 17 at TAAG Park.
