OSHAWA, Ont. - Closing in on the Nipissing Lakers in the OUA east playoff race, the UOIT Ridgebacks men's soccer team were handed heartbreak by a 90th minute goal resulting in a 1-0 Saturday afternoon loss at Vaso's Field.
Despite the loss, the Ridgebacks remain in the sixth and final playoff position in the OUA east with a 3-7 record for nine points. Just behind UOIT with seven points are next Friday's opponent, the Laurentian Voyageurs.
The majority of the Sunday afternoon game was played in the middle of the pitch as both the Ridgebacks and Lakers competed for possession. Nearly every opportunity to break through at both ends was quickly met with an offside flag as the back lines held strong through the full 90 minutes.
When a shot opportunity did materialize, UOIT keepr
Nicholas Miller (Oshawa, Ont.) and Lakers backstop Andrew Johnstone stood tall, making eight saves apiece. Early on it was Johnstone making stops, including a diving effort to catch an
Elijah Lorenc-Clarke (Scarborough, Ont.) header in the first half. In the closing five minutes Miller made two game-changing saves, first with the left leg, and second with an outstretched right hand.
With the clock in the 90th minute of the stalemated contest, Nipissing took one last corner and it was Jack Collins delivering a sweeping cross to the head of Cody Vaillancourt for the lone game-winning goal.
The Ridgebacks will look to bounce back next weekend, battling the Voyageurs for playoff positioning on Friday, before looking for redemption against the Lakers on Saturday. The contest versus Laurentian kicks off at 1 p.m., while the rematch with Nipissing is set for 2:15 p.m.
Overall Record: 3-10-0 (W-L-D)
Conference Record: 3-7-0
Next match: Friday, Oct. 5 vs. Laurentian Voyageurs • (1 p.m. – Sudbury, Ont.)
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