PREVIEW: Gee-Gees take on Rams with Final Four berth on the line

The Gee-Gees women's soccer team can secure the right to host the OUA Final Four when they face the Ryerson Rams in the East Division Quarterfinal on Sunday at Matt Anthony Field.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. 

The Gee-Gees enter the postseason as the defending OUA and U SPORTS champions and the number-one team in the U SPORTS National Rankings. Ottawa went unbeaten during the regular season with a 12-0-2 record, including a 7-0 record at home.

Mikayla Morton garnered headlines for the Garnet and Grey this season. The fourth-year striker from Courtice, Ont., led the country with 17 goals. Morton established a new record for most goals in a campaign by a Gee-Gees player, while also bagging the program's 1,000^th marker. 

Emma Lefebvre is second on the team with seven goals, while freshman Kaylane Hogue has three. The Gee-Gees 40 goals were second in the country, trailing only the Trinity Western Spartans — the team Ottawa beat in the National Championship final in 2018.  

As dominant as Ottawa's offence was this season, the team's defence is just as good. The Gee-Gees enter the match having not conceded since a 1-1 draw with Queen's on September 22 – a span of 579 minutes of game action. Their four goals allowed this season are second-fewest in the OUA.

Senior goalkeeper Margot Shore is second in the conference with a 0.29 goals against average and third with a .909 save percentage. 

Ryerson finished sixth in the division with a 5-6-3 record and made it to the quarterfinals by defeating Nipissing Lakers on penalties. Goalkeeper Elisa Lapadula stopped two spot kicks during the first-round victory.

Sunday will mark the third time in as many weeks the teams are squaring off. The Gee-Gees and Rams met twice this season, with Ottawa emerging victorious on both occasions. The Gee-Gees thrashed Ryerson 5-0 in Toronto on October 13 and won 1-0 at home on October 20. 

The Rams are paced offensively by Brooke Pearson, who has five goals in 11 games played. BreAnah Webster has four assists, while Lapadula sports a 1.31 goals-against-average.

Should Ottawa win Sunday, Gee-Gees Field will play host to the OUA Final Four. The Gee-Gees finished tied with the Queen's Gaels for the best record in the conference, but their superior goal differential gives them the tentative right to host. 

For in-game updates on Gee-Gees women's soccer games, follow @GeeGeesWSOC on Twitter. Tickets for all home games are available for purchase at tickets.geegees.ca and games are streamed on oua.tv.