MSOC | Voyageurs Fall to Third Ranked Ravens

The talent and class of the top ranked team in Ontario and third ranked team in the country was on full display when the Laurentian Voyageurs went up against the juggernaut Carleton Ravens on Sunday. A strong first half for the Voyageurs would go in vain as they came out on the losing end by a score of 4-1.

The Voyageurs went toe to toe with the Ravens in the first half. Even though they did not possess the ball for greater periods of time, their strong defence kept the Ravens offense at bay. The Ravens drew first blood just two minutes in when a beautifully calculated cross found a streaking Silvio Simil in the penalty box and he would very confidently deposit the ball at the back of the net. However, just fourteen minutes later, Graeme McLean scored a stunner from the edge of the penalty box as a masterfully calculated lob caught the Ravens goalkeeper off guard who was unable to stop ball from the entering the net.

Both teams would continue to press for the go-ahead goal but would be unable to find it. One noteworthy offensive chance from the Voyageurs came about by a quick throw in to Augustus Oku, who managed to hold off a defender and get a meaningful shot off that was too much for the goalkeeper as it deflected off of him but no other Voyageurs were in the area to capitalize on the resulting rebound. The Voyageur defense was spectacular in their efforts and had their squad all square with the Ravens, 1-1 going into the second half.

Unfortunately, for the Voyageurs, the second half was quite the opposite of first. The Ravens found their groove in the second and would score three unanswered goals to seal the victory. The second goal of the match for the Ravens came courtesy of Ricky Comba who tapped the ball into the empty net when a long range attempt ricocheted off the crossbar. The third goal came via a corner kick that found the head of Comba who made no mistake in scoring his second of the match. The final Ravens goal came through a long range finesse shot from Dario Conte. The match would them come to a close with the Ravens emerging victorious by a score of 4-1.

The Voyageurs will now travel to the Provincial Capital and take on the seventh ranked team in the country, the Toronto Varsity Blues on September 20. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm.

Wali Khan

Sports Writer