Golden Hat-Trick: Gee-Gees’ lifetime scoring leader Cassandra Provost leaves uOttawa with third OUA women’s soccer title in a row

By Maria Michaux

Cassandra Provost left one last indelible mark in the final home game of her career with the University of Ottawa women’s soccer team on Saturday afternoon, as she lifted the Gee-Gees out of a 1-0 hole against the Nipissing Lakers to claim their third consecutive Ontario University Athletics championship.

“We needed that goal,” Provost said post-game. “We had to come back early in the game, and we did.”

Provost’s goal in the 37th minute spurred the Ottawa offence, which scored again three minutes later on a penalty kick by Ottawa native Nibo Dlamini. Nipissing tied it up, but Ottawa’s Jenna Matsukubo scored what proved to be the game winner in the 64th minute, with Gatineau’s Élianne Gervais scoring an insurance marker in the 84th minute, assisted by Ottawa’s Sabrina Mangiaracina.

With the win, the Gee-Gees secured the third seed for the Nov. 7-10 U Sports national championships in Halifax, where they’ll meet the Victoria Vikes in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

“We’re going to use this time to recover, get healed, get some ice, solve our little problems and make sure we are ready to go,” Provost highlighted.

Provost has been a driving force for the Gee-Gees’ attack as a record-breaking striker throughout her career at uOttawa.

The management student from Acton Vale, Que. (an hour east of Montreal) became uOttawa’s all-time leading scorer this season when she surpassed Pilar Khoury’s mark of 58 goals, finishing with 61 in 44 regular season games.

The 2022 national player of the year led the OUA in goals scored (13) for the third consecutive season and collected her third-straight OUA East MVP award this season as well.

Provost’s final goal at Matt Anthony Field was a beauty as she maneuvered through two defenders to get her shot off, with the ball going just above the Lakers goalkeeper’s hands.

Provost has become a Gee-Gees legend in wearing garnet and grey for six years – one more than usual due to a missed season from COVID. But the extra year could well prove beneficial since it extended her university career just long enough to allow the Northern Super League to get set for its inaugural Canadian professional women’s soccer season in 2025.

“This league will motivate U Sports players,” Provost noted in an NSL More Than a League feature.

“I for sure want to play professional,” she added, noting she’s loved being able to play university soccer in Canada while staying close to family and doing what she loves.

“Canadians need to know that there’s something else than just playing university. After university, you’re not done.”

Steve Johnson, the Gee-Gees’ coach of 30 years, was enthusiastic about the opportunity for players like Provost to continue their soccer careers in the NSL, and that the league’s launch could also help keep more top players in Canada for university, since it completes a pathway to the pros at home.

“I’ve been in the game with women’s soccer for a really, really long time and I would really like to be able to see the players, the atmosphere, the community, get the support that I think is there just waiting to be nudged over the edge,” he said in the feature.

Johnson collected his 12th OUA title and eighth conference coach of the year award this season, while Dlamini, Maya Smith and Eva Bouity joined Provost as first-team division all-stars, with Matsukubo and Cassidy Joslin chosen for the second team.

Johnson said that the key to his squad’s success in winning three consecutive Ontario crowns is the chemistry and friendships the players have together.

“They really like each other,” he underlined after the OUA championship match. “They enjoy coming out to the training sessions, and I think they just enjoy being in the dressing room together. (Now) they’re getting the opportunity to spend a few more days [together] that mean something.”

The Gee-Gees have earned back-to-back bronze medals from the national championships and enter the 2024 nationals coming off a standout OUA campaign. They lost just once in 12 games en route to the OUA’s best record, and avenged their 1-0 midseason defeat to Toronto with a 2-1 victory in the playoff quarterfinals.

The Gee-Gees then secured their trip to nationals with a 3-1 penalty-kick shootout win over Guelph following a 1-1 match at home in the semis before winning their ninth match in a row in the final.

“We’ve had a great season, and to be able to experience situations where we go down a goal and are successful in coming back shows our character,” Johnson reflected. “I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”