After four straight victories, the No. 9 nationally ranked York University Lions women's soccer team will look to embrace the more challenging portion of their regular season schedule. They head to the Ottawa area to face off against the Carleton Ravens, before clashing with a nationally ranked opponent in the No. 3 Ottawa Gee-Gees Sunday afternoon at York Lions Stadium.
 
The Match-ups: No. 9 York (5-1) vs. Carleton (1-4-2), York vs. No. 3 Ottawa (6-0-1)
 
Game Details
Friday, Oct. 22 @ 4pm at Carleton, OUA.tv
Sunday, Oct. 24 @ 1pm vs. Ottawa, OUA.tv
 
Home/Away Records
York – 3-0 at home, 2-1 on the road
Carleton – 1-1-1 at home
Ottawa – 2-0-1 on the road
 
Current Streak
York – Won 4
Carleton – Lost 1
Ottawa – Won 2
 
Last Meetings
While this will be York and Carleton's first meeting of the 2021 season, the Lions already travelled to Matt Anthony to face the Gee-Gees, where Ottawa handed York its only loss of the season to this point, a 4-0 defeat. Ottawa had 24 shots to York's seven, keeping York goalkeeper Patricia Vrysellas busy. However, the Lions made large strides in succeeding games and haven't lost since.  

Ottawa and York go back even further than their recent meeting, clashing in the 2019 OUA semifinal in which Ottawa entered as the top-ranked team. York dispatched them on a late goal, launching them into the OUA final and ultimately the U SPORTS national championship.
 
QUICK FACTS
 
York

• It's been all business for the Lions since their Gee-Gees game, and veteran leaders have emerged as the driving force behind this team's ascent to nationally ranked distinction. Kalifornia Mitchell and Jotam Chouhan had the two goals in last Friday's victory over Trent.
• With Mitchell's marker, she now vaults into sole possession of the team lead in goals (3), surpassing rookie Maia Torelli. It's been the season of the rookies for York, with Sydney Sherwood, Bianca Jack and Sabrina Fabiano also registering multi-point performances to this point.
• To guarantee themselves a playoff spot, a team needs to finish among the top two in their division, so this weekend is crucial for York's playoff positioning. Two of the top third place teams also qualify for the postseason, and York currently has the highest number of points among all third place teams due to the arduous nature OUA East. 

Carleton

• Slotting in at a 1-4-2 record to this point, Carleton is trailing Trent currently in fifth in the difficult OUA East division. Despite that, they have scored 13 goals on the 2021 campaign, just one less than York's 14. However, that includes a 9-0 win over RMC.

 
Ottawa

• The Gee-Gees, both offensively and defensively, have emerged as the class of the OUA. They are averaging 4.7 goals per game, by far the highest in the conference, also have an OUA-leading 162 shots, and are minding their own end of the field – their goalkeeping tandem has only had to make eight saves all season.
• While the team has emerged as an offensive threat, 23 of their 30 goals have come from four players – Emma Lefebvre (11), Cassandra Provost (6), Soumaya Bouak (3), and Angelina Gendreau (3).

 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
 
York
 
Vanessa Salvaggio
 
Third-year midfielder … Leads the Lions in team scoring with four points (one goal, three assists) … Named an OUA West first team all-star in 2019, after notching two goals … U SPORTS academic all-Canadian.
 
Marissa Castellano
 
Second-year forward … Scores in bunches, with back-to-back games getting goals on the scoreboard on Oct. 9 against RMC and Oct. 15 against Trent … Her seven shots on goal are fifth on the team … Played in all four games in the 2019 OUA playoffs and scored two game-winning goals, the lone tally in a 1-0 quarter-final win over Waterloo and the final goal in extra time in a 3-2 upset victory over Ottawa … Spent time with the Bermuda U17 national team.
 
Bianca Jack
 
Rookie defender … Broke out offensively in Sept. 30 win over RMC … Had three shots and a goal, along with the game-winner in 78 minutes played … Named York's female athlete of the week for the period ending Oct. 10 for her offensive breakout … Kinesiology & Health Science major from Toronto, Ont.
 
Carleton
 
Chloe Doherty
 
Fourth-year forward … By far the leading scorer on the Ravens, with five goals … Next closest, Ghalia Hammada, has two … Had a hat trick in a 9-0 win over RMC on Oct. 3 … Also notched two goals against Ontario Tech on Oct. 15.
 
Ottawa
 
Emma Lefebvre
 
Fifth-year striker … Leads the OUA in goals (11) … Had four of them in a contest against RMC on Oct. 15, a 12-0 Gee-Gees win … Scored against York in their one contest on Sept. 25, a 4-0 Gee-Gees win … Two-time OUA second team all-star, three-time U SPORTS academic all-Canadian.
 
Sadie Sider-Echenberg
 
Rookie midfielder … Leads Gee-Gees first year players in scoring with four points (two goals, two assists) … Had the game-winner in a 3-0 win over Carleton on Oct. 11 … Added an assist and two shots against York on Sept. 25 … Attended Glebe C.I. in downtown Ottawa.