McCarthy's 10th career game-winner lifts Griffins past Cougars in huge divisional revenge game
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
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1 | 1 | 2 |
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2 | 1 | 3 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Mount Royal University | MacEwan University |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 15 (4) | 19 (11) |
| Saves | 8 | 2 |
| Fouls | 8 | 10 |
| Corner Kicks | 3 | 6 |
| Offsides | 1 | 2 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Raeghan McCarthy continues to come up clutch for the Griffins women's soccer team.
The fifth-year midfielder scored a highlight-reel volley from distance in the 84th minute to lift MacEwan to a 3-2 win over the Mount Royal University Cougars on Saturday at Clarke Stadium.
It's her 10th career game-winner and pushes her into the top-10 in Canada West all-time.
"Magic," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro. "A big-time player coming in, big-time moment. I wouldn't expect any different. That's Raeghan McCarthy for you. It was great to see. What a finish."
The win completed a revenge narrative for the Griffins after they lost to MRU 2-0 in Calgary earlier this month and moves them to 5-2-0 in the standings – just a point back of 5-1-1 MRU for second place in the Prairie Division.
MacEwan is now 16-1-2 on the field against MRU (including playoffs) since entering Canada West in 2014.
"We owed them a little one," said midfielder Brynn Hobal, who opened the scoring for MacEwan and was named the Griffins' player of the game. "I think this one means a lot to everyone and this will get the ball rolling here for the rest of the season."
After Sophie Lavallee intercepted a clearing attempt to the left of the box in the 8th minute, Grace Mwasalla chipped a pass to Hobal, streaking into the area and she planted it inside the left post.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Soccer (@Griffins_WSOC) September 20, 2025
Brynn Hobal opens the scoring for @MacEwanGriffins in the 8th minute!
She slots it inside the left post off a pass from Grace Mwasalla, who has her 49th career @CanadaWest point.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/U34BwNROhW
"We were on a counter-attack," she said. "I saw Grace was holding up the ball. She laid me off and I just swung at it with my left foot and was lucky enough to get it to the back left post."
It was the 49th career regular season point for Mwasalla in her 50th career start.
MRU equalized almost immediately, though, as Tamara Djurisic's 30-yard free kick was banged home from the back post by Ava Tingstad in the 15th minute.
The Griffins went back to work in a half they were dominating and regained the lead in the 25th minute off a terrific effort by Lavallee, who took a cross from Alyx Henderson and refused to be denied, charging through heavy contact in the box and ripping it short side.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Soccer (@Griffins_WSOC) September 20, 2025
What an effort from Sophie Lavallee!
After a terrific cross from Alyx Henderson, she outmuscled a defender and fired short side for her third of the season to put the @MacEwanGriffins up 2-1 over @MRUCougars in the 25th minute.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/9G4Jsm3LxW
McCarthy almost made it 3-1 Griffins in the 57th minute and would have if not for a spectacular save by MRU keeper Ella Filek, who parried away her one-timer from the middle of the box.
MRU, fortunate to only be trailing by a goal at half-time, looked much stronger in the second half, though, eventually hemming the Griffins in their end for a spell with Gabrielle Linford's clean break broken up by Ella Fownes from behind before Madelein Albert intercepted MacEwan keeper Sabrina Alexander in the box, but ripped a point-blank shot over the cage.
Lavallee thought she'd put the Griffins ahead 3-1 in the 67th minute when she ran onto a ball that Hobal touched through the area and blasted it in, but she was ruled offside.
Eventually, the Cougars wouldn't be denied, though, equalizing in the 76th when Djurisic scored her fourth of the season off an inspired free kick from 30 yards out that bent over the wall and went under the bar.
"Again, I'm going to sound like a broken record, we've got to clean up some set pieces, but we've got to give credit where credit is due," said Cordeiro. "Hell of a finish on the second one and the first one they got to the back post. A couple of moments, those were close calls, but we've got to be switched on a little better.
"In the run of play, we didn't give them almost anything. So, we've just got to clean up those set pieces."
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Soccer (@Griffins_WSOC) September 20, 2025
Just incredible stuff from Raeghan McCarthy, scoring the go-ahead goal in the 84th on a volley from distance!
3-2 for @MacEwanGriffins over @MRUCougars late.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/70zdmJ464S
Fortunately, McCarthy's nose for goal paid off with the winner in the 84th when Nikki Brodeur's cross into the middle of the field was up for grabs in an aerial battle, but McCarthy sliced into the fray and volleyed a 30-yard rocket past a diving Filek.
Filek stopped eight for MRU, while Alexander made two saves for MacEwan, who outshot the visitors 19-15 (11-4 on goal).
"We're getting in our rhythm," said Cordeiro. "That was a hell of a game. We got three today and were unlucky not to get more. We had one or two disallowed goals, a couple other close calls, but we did what we needed to do to get three points, especially coming from Calgary where we dropped some points.
"I'm happy – keep getting better every day and keep closing gaps. We're going to enjoy this one and then tomorrow we're back at it with a very big game against U of C."
The Griffins will face another undefeated team on Sunday when they welcome the 7-0-0 Dinos (12 p.m., Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV).
