OTTAWA - The playoff-bound Ryerson Rams couldn't find the back of the net in the first 85 minutes of the game in their final meeting of the season against the Carleton Ravens, playing to a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa.
Despite the game's lackluster results, the Rams will continue to prepare for the playoffs with their regular season campaign coming to a close tomorrow afternoon.
Ryerson had an extremely strong first half, dominating possession and creating numerous high-quality chances. Neither team could find the back of the net in the first half as the game remained scoreless after the first 45 minutes of play.
The Ravens came out strong in the second half, leaving the Rams chasing the ball through much of the final 45 minutes. Carleton's ball movement and on-target passing saw the teams spend lots of the time on Ryerson's side of the field, forcing Rams goalkeeper Elisa Lapadula (Brampton, Ont.) to stay aggressive at the top of her box.
Carleton's Chloe Doherty (Bradford, Ont.) would break the scoreless draw in the last five minutes of the match, firing a shot far above Lapadula to put her team ahead 1-0.
Ryerson's strong counter attack right after the Ravens' goal saw Vittoria Gallivan (Ottawa, Ont.) capitalize on an easy tap-in from inside the box, tying the game at one with just three minutes remaining in the second half. Gallivan's goal against the Ravens was the first of her OUA career.
Ninety minutes and two goals later, the Rams walked off the field with a point after playing to a 1-1 draw against Carleton in their final meeting of the season.
As it stands, the fifth-seeded Rams will either face off against the Nipissing Lakers or the Toronto Varsity Blues in the first round of the playoffs. The Rams can fall to the sixth seed at the very worst, depending on other results from around the league today. With the postseason coming up in less than a week, the Rams will need to prepare to play atop their game as they make their return to the playoffs this year.
The Rams will hit the field on Sunday afternoon against the no. 1 Ottawa Gee-Gees in their final game of the regular season. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. in at Gee-Gees Field in Ottawa.
