Early penalty kick earns Ridgebacks first win of 2015
The UOIT men’s soccer team had a pair of games in their opening weekend and earned a draw and a victory.
The UOIT men’s soccer team may have wanted six points in their first weekend of OUA conference action, but they’re still happy with four.
After a heartbreaking 1-1 draw against Nipissing at home on Aug. 29, the Ridgebacks were back on Vaso’s Field on Aug. 30, hoping their first victory would come against the Laurentian Voyageurs.
In a match that was even throughout, Carlos Gonzales-Mugaburu’s penalty kick in the 14th minute proved to be the difference as UOIT walked away with a 1-0 victory against the Voyageurs.
Each team ended the game with nine shots. UOIT put seven on goal, while Laurentian hit the net six times. Both Travis Martin (UOIT) and Connor Vande Weghe played a major role in the match, each making big stops and standing tall when needed.
Martin ended the game with six saves for his first clean-sheet and win of the campaign.
UOIT had 20 fouls in the match, while Laurentian had 14.
The next match for the Ridgebacks is Saturday, Sept. 5 in Peterborough against the Trent Excalibur. Kick-off is at 1 p.m.
Following that, the team will play their annual friendly against the Durham Lords at Vaso’s Field on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Kick-off for the men’s game is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.