UOIT women’s soccer team captures 2013 Campus Cup

One of the great traditions of Orientation Week at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) is the annual soccer showdown between the UOIT Ridgebacks and their campus rivals at Durham College. The soccer teams at the university and the college play in different leagues, but they always face off in a grudge match in early September for campus bragging rights.

The UOIT Ridgebacks women’s soccer team earned a 2-0 shutout victory over the Durham College Lords to win the 2013 Campus Cup in front of a packed house of students, faculty members, staff, alumni, family and friends at Vaso’s Field on September 5. The win marked UOIT’s first ever women’s soccer Campus Cup title, as Durham College won the inaugural match last season.

“What a successful night on campus,” said Athletic Director Ken Babcock. “It was great to see all of the pride and school spirit demonstrated by the student body. Both teams played a great game and they should be proud of their performances tonight.”

First-year Ridgeback Emily Copeland-Dinan of Ottawa scored the Ridgebacks’ first goal just before halftime, which held up as the winner. Another Ridgeback freshman Cassandra Sribny of Pickering added an insurance marker for UOIT with five minutes left to secure the 2-0 victory. Laura Whelan (St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador) earned the shutout for UOIT, stopping every Durham shot she faced.

In the men’s 2013 Campus Cup match, the Ridgebacks played to a draw with Durham College. The contest went to a shootout, with the Lords emerging as 1-0 victors.

The Campus Cup showdown between UOIT and Durham College (DC) also prompted a friendly wager between the presidents of both institutions. UOIT's Tim McTiernan and Durham College's Don Lovisa decided a Campus Cup win by the other institution would be recognized by a victory ribbon at the top-right corner of the home page of the opposing institution's website. Accordingly, UOIT's women's victory ribbon appears on the Durham College website and the DC victory ribbon appears on the UOIT main page for the result of the men's game.