OTTAWA (Sept. 6, 2024) - A Lauren Illman penalty kick goal in the 73rd minute capped off a brilliant night of defending as the Carleton Ravens came away with a well-earned draw.
In their home opener, the Ravens defended the ball well early, keeping the majority of the opening third of the match to the middle of the park. When the Gaels did manage to break through, Chloé Lachance-Soulard (Ottawa, Ont.) was brilliant, making key saves to keep the game scoreless through the first half. In a chippy first half, the Ravens showed a willingness to battle the Gaels for every inch of the park, frustrating the visitors who struggled to advance.
Coming out of halftime the pace quickened as both teams looked for an advantage. Brinley Bjorson finally broke the deadlock in the 65th. The Gaels lead wouldn't hold for long, less than ten minutes later the Ravens would generate a flurry of activity in the Queen's box before a hard drive from Illman (Whitby, Ont.) had her shot blocked by the arm of Kendre Couto. The yellow card put Illman on the spot where she made no mistake overpowering Kirstin Tynan, who did at first appear to make the save, for the tieing goal.
The Ravens stood tall in the final minutes, remaining composed and assured. They cleared the box well, keeping the Gaels at bay. The Ravens' second draw against Queen's in the last three seasons helps the team keep pace with five points through three matches.
The Ravens are back in action on Sunday afternoon when they host RMC at 1 PM.
