The Cambrian Golden Shield women's soccer team would be more than happy to pick up four points in a pair of matches with the Algonquin Wolves from Ottawa in just about any season imagineable.
Having overcome a 3-0 halftime deficit on the road to register a 4-3 win last weekend against the perennial provincial powerhouse but coming off a 3-0 loss Saturday at home to the Centennial Colts, the Shield women were clearly feeling the effects on some key injuries that are beginning to pile up.
With Algonquin looking for a measure of revenge Sunday in Sudbury and the visitors pressing relentlessly for the win in the final 15 minutes or so, a scoreless draw was a welome result for Cambrian, with few more proud of the effort than local starting keeper Emily Levesque, earning her first ever OCAA shutout in just her second start for the local squad.
Not that she didn't have to work for it as Algonquin clearly held the territorial advantage in the dying minutes of this contest.
"Obviously you never want them in your end - it's a stressful position to be in," said Levesque, an 18 year-old first year student in the Heavy Equipment Technology program and a graduate of St Benedict Catholic Secondary School.
"I was hoping that we would hold on, either get a goal or at least keep the tie," she added. "I was happy with the zero-zero tie. Getting points is always better - and a shutout is good too."
Where some athletes gradually find their way to the very back line, Levesque did so much earlier, though the reality of playing post-secondary soccer really did not start to materialize until much later.
"I have pretty much always been a keeper but I really didn't start to get into it seriously until I was fourteen," said the GSSC Impact product who came through with a handful of key saves, notably in the second half.
"That's when I started playing competitive (soccer). There really wasn't much of a reason (to be a keeper) - I was just good at it."
After making her first post-secondary appearance last weekend in the second half of the Algonquin game in order to allow coach Evan Phillips to take full advantage of the versatility of starter Jocelyn Way who slid into a centerback position with some veteran defenders sidelined, Levesque was looking increasingly comfortable as her first weekend at home went along.
"I am always a little bit nervous going into games, that one (Saturday vs Centennial) a little bit more because it's a higher level than I am used to and it's my first start - and an important one."
"Having more experience with the girls helps, just getting used to them, going through practices, getting used to their playing styles and having them getting used to the way I play. It all helps in gaining confidence as I play through it."
The Cambrian Golden Shield men remain in search of their first win, dropping to 0-3 with a 4-1 loss at home Saturday to Centennial and then suffering a heart-breaking 1-0 setback Sunday in New Sudbury versus the St Lawrence Surge.
Both Cambrian teams are back on the road this weekend, both taking on the Seneca Sting on Saturday (Sept 24th) but splitting the next day as the Golden Shield men have a rematch against Centennial while the women head to Belleville to do battle with the Loyalist Lancers.
