BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
The Laurentian University women's soccer team
is in the thick of the hunt to be the top dog in the OUA North
Division.
This weekend, the Lady Vees face two division
rivals on the road - the University of Toronto on Saturday, and
York University on Sunday.
The games have serious playoff implications
and the squad is eager to prove itself under the
pressure.
"These are two important games," said head
coach Rob Gallo. "We either leave Toronto in first or
potentially in third, clinging to the final playoff spot in the
division. We have to win both games to be in full control of
first place."
Gallo has the ladies working a furious pace
to maintain their bread-and-butter defence, and honing their
scoring ability.
"We're working on a quicker transition game,"
said Gallo. "We need to continue to create scoring chances.
Goals are tough to get for our team. We're beyond trying to
figure out why we can't score. We're just focusing on creating
chances and getting a goal. If we get one goal, we're a tough
team to beat."
The Lady Vees have held the opposition
scoreless through the first seven games but, at the same time,
they have only scored six goals. This tight defence has
propelled the squad's record to 3-0-4.
The team has welcomed playing close game
after close game.
"They love the pressure," said Gallo.
"They're proud of their defensive record. They're driven to go
undefeated and have no goals against...it's not a lofty goal
for them. I admire their resilience and, if someone were to
score, their character would not let them falter. Last season,
we went 1-7-2 with 21 goals against. No matter what happens the
rest of the season, they're winners in my mind."
The Lady Vees currently sit second in the OUA
North Division with 13 points. York leads the division with 14
points. Toronto is third with 10 points.
