The Ram’s Women’s Rundown! The 49 Sport weekly update on everything Ryerson Women’s Rams athletics. Although many sports are based around weekend games, this column will always fall on Wednesdays, being a mid-week update of everything in the Ryerson women’s athletic family.

Or is it Ramily? Either way, Ryerson Sports X 49 Sport = The Ram’s Rundown

This week was an exciting week for everyone around the Ryerson community, but for the Ryerson Rams athletics program it was supremely special, as most of the fall teams began their seasons. If the teams did not start their regular season, they were finishing or beginning their pre-season preparations. All around it was a significant week for the school at Yong and Dundas. 

Starting off with the women’s teams. Week one saw a pair of programs begin their conference campaigns. 

Soccer:

2-1 L Vs Queens // 3-0 vs RMC

Women’s soccer struggled last year, but with those memories miles behind in the rearview mirror, the team has their determinations set on a much improved 2019. 

The Rams finished last season with a dismal record of 3-6-7, nine points out of an OUA playoff spot. The struggle last year was circulated around their integration of rookie head coach Natalie Bukovic, who clearly took a while to find her feet within the Rams program. Nonetheless, 2019 is a new year, Bukovic has a season of experience under her belt- and most importantly has brought in some fresh faces to re-inspire last years team,  which only were able to score 13 goals.

One of the headline recruits in all of Ryerson sports this year is on the team. Jade Vyfhuis, the captain of the U-20 Guyanese national women’s team became a Ram and has already impressed through two games. 

With Vyfhuis and the rest of the recruiting class, things are looking much more promising for the Rams in 2019. “They represent the entire program,” said manager Bukovec. “Each player has somebody that they can relate to and can go to essentially if they need support.

For week one, the team travelled up to Kingston to take on both Queens University Gaels and the Royal Military College Paladins. They left Toronto with dreams of six points and came back with the perfectly respectable three. Despite the loss being to Queens, the Toronto girls put in a much stronger performance than they did at any point in 2019.

Both matches were fantastic performances by the Ram’s. A refreshing situation for everyone involved, and setting up a hopeful situation for the forthcoming season. 

The first game against Queens was a nail biter right up until the end. In front of a crowd of 250 on Queen’s residence move-in day, the Gaels clawed their way to a 2-1 victory over Ryerson. 

Throughout the first 25 minutes of the match, the game was tightly contested, with astute passing being show by both sides. As each began to wear their counterparts down, the game began to open up. 

The Gael’s would get their first goal of the season and first of the match off the head of Jamie Foot, who rattled home a pinpoint corner kick from teammate Taylor Green.  That goal came in the 28th minute and brought the game to life. Up to that point, the match had been evenly contested- but neither team was able to stake their claim on the progressions. 

Ryerson equalized mere minutes afterwards thanks to a strike from Alex  Rodkin, a fourth-year social work student, good enough to send the teams to the break knotted at a goal apiece. 

The second half began with a queens side who were clearly out on a mission. The gold and claret pressured the Rams from the get-go, forcing mistakes before finally scoring the second and winning goal in the 63rd. 

Although Ryerson was unable to win against queens, the performance that they put in was far and away better than anything they showed in 2018. 

With confidence on their side after going head to head with the Gaels, Ryerson was more than happy to take on a much weaker RMC Paladins side.

The game against the Paladin was scoreless at the half, but Ryerson came out guns a blazing in the second half- which we can only assume is thanks to a rambunctious speech from the coach between the halves. 

The second half began quick, with the Rams launching themselves to a fast and furious 3-0. 

Thanks to this weekend, Ryerson women’s soccer is only nine goals behind their total from last season. It may be far fetched to pitch the Rams as championship contenders. But if the question is “Are they better than last year?” Then it is an astounding “Yes!” 

Ryerson heads back home for the beginning of classes this week, before continuing the burgeoning OUA campaign on Sunday against the Queens Gaels. 

Fastpitch: 

Pre-Season finishes with 4-1 record

Although competing in a club circuit, the Ryerson women’s fastpitch team began to play this week. Their opponents? Not so much. 

Participating in the Toronto Intercollegiate Early Bird Tournament, the Rams finished with a record of 4-1- wiping the floor with most of the competition. 

The only loss came against  local rivals U of Toronto, although there was a great discrpeancy in skill throughout all the teams.

The Rams trampled over Seneca College in their first game 9-1, followed that with the Toronto loss and finished the first of three games with a seventh-inning home run for the 2-1 win over tournament hosts Humber College. The thriller against Humber will not be forgotten for a long time by anyone involved, as the home run was scored by Emma Carr. 

At a record of 2-1, the blue and gold played a pair of games against Mohawk College to complete their pre-season schedule. Neither games were very close. The Rams cruised to a 6-1 win in the first game and managed to hold on for a 9-7 victory in the second. 

Although the second Mohawk game was closer, the result never worried the Rams. 

Ryerson should and likely will call their 4-1 preseason record successful, as they get ready for the home opener on September 6th against Waterloo.

Stay tuned for more fastpitch, as there are some 49 Sport exclusives set to be published in the coming days. 

Other Sports:

Hockey and volleyball also began training this week, but they are each yet to begin their preseason. Cross-Country is the next sport on the horizon, with their open tryouts set for Sunday, September 8th

So that’s it for the  Rams Women’s for week one! Check back every Wednesday for everything Ryerson Rams women’s sports. As for the Men’s rundown- that will begin for week two and take place on Mondays.