Soccer Martlets battle Gee-Gees to scoreless draw in 61st season opener

OTTAWA - The McGill University women's soccer team opened their 61st season with a scoreless draw in exhibition play against the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the nation's capital, Monday.

Ottawa, which finished third at the CIS championship tourney hosted by McGill last fall, was outshot 9-2 but got a sparkling performance from sophomore Cynthia Leblanc, a 5-foot-6 goalkeeper from Granby, Que., who made a number of spectacular saves to earn a shutout. She made an exceptional save early off Julia Conzon, a freshman from Vancouver, B.C.  In the second stanza, she committed highway robbery on veterans Stephanie Avery of Tsawwassen, B.C., Hannah Rivkin of St. John's, Nfld., and Rebecca Green of Green's Harbour, Nfld., in addition to a key stop on rookie Daphne Morency of Boulder, Colorado.

McGill 'keeper Victoria Muccilli, a 5-foot-9 junior from Mississauga, Ont., registered the whitewash for the Martlets.

"It was a tight, defensive struggle for first 45 minutes with not too many scoring chances," said Marc Mounicot, in his 15th season as head coach at McGill. "We played a quality second half but Leblanc was unbeatable. We controlled the tempo and had good ball possession.  Another positive was that we were able to get 17 players into the game and still maintained our level of organized play."

The Martlets have less than 24 hours to prepare for their own home opener as they will host the University of Windsor Lancers at Molson Stadium, Tuesday. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

McGill 0, Ottawa 0

FIRST HALF:

(no scoring)

SECOND HALF:

(no scoring)

McGILL's STARTING LINEUP:

GK: Muccilli

DEF: Sansar, Fasoulakis*, Armstrong, Kirby

MID: Bahen, M. Bourque, Pearkes*

FOR: Morency*, Conzon*, Green

McGILL SUBSTITUTIONS

Bui for Sansar

Rivkin for Pearkes

Holdham for Armstrong

S.Bourque* for Conzon

Avery for Green

Lasso for Bahen

*freshman

DRESSED BUT DID NOT PLAY:

Colarossi- Gaillard*-Sleckmann*-Mahoney*-Rye*-Saint.Onge*

McGILL LINEUP SCRATCHES (all injured):

Bell-Wilson-Nussbaum-Rioux

SHOTS

McGill:  12 toward the net (8 on net)

Ottawa:  3 toward the net (1 on net)

CORNERS

McGill 8

Ottawa 2

OFFSIDES

McGill 3

Ottawa 1

CROSSES

McGill 12

Ottawa 2

Attendance: 50

(at Ottawa Stadium)

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman

McGill Athletics & Recreation

514-398-7012