MONTREAL – Chloe Renaud scored her league-leading sixth goal and extended her streak to five consecutive games as McGill battled No.5-ranked Laval to a 1-1 draw in a women's soccer confrontation of undefeated teams, Sunday, at Percival Molson Stadium.

The game required a number of water-break stoppages in sweltering heat that reached 29C in the stands, but the temperature was higher on the FieldTurf surface.
 
The saw-off halted McGill's win streak at four. The Martlets and Rouge et Or are among only 10 undefeated teams in Canada yet division-leading McGill has  yet to be classified among the U SPORTS weekly Top 10 national rankings. And when the dust settled on this confrontation, McGill remained atop the RSEQ standings with a 4-0-1 record, some four points ahead of the Rouge et Or (2-0-3).

"I think in past years, we would have been happy with a tie against Laval but if you look at the faces on my group today, they're not satisfied with the tie but are okay with the result," said McGill head coach Jose-Luis Valdez, whose troops have now wrestled Laval to a draw in each of their last three visits to Montreal. "It was a good game against an opponent that always forces us to think tactics. It's not typically a physical battle against Laval. They challenge us in a tactical and technical way... We're already looking forward to the return match in Quebec City (on Oct. 6)."
 
Alexie Poirier opened the scoring for Laval in the 12th minute. She received a throw-in pass from Mathilde Rousseau around the 30-yard mark, then ran past two defenders on the left side and rifled a high, bullet-like drive from 10 yards out over the outstretched arms of McGill goalkeeper Sophie Guilmette, who saved two of three shots. It marked just the second time that Guilmette had been beaten in five games to date.
 
Less than 11 minute later, McGill returned the favour on a similar play. A throw-in by Audrey Moyen – from about 30 yards out on the right sideline – was collected by Poppy Honeybone at the 10-yard mark and she chipped a pass over her head to her rushing teammate. Renaud scampered five yards past a defender and rifled a high shot above Laval 'keeper Anne-Marie Laroche in the top right corner.

The teams took a 1-1 deadlock into the intermission and played a scoreless second half.
 
With six markers, Renaud is now tied for third among the nation's leading goal-scorers, behind Nipissing's Cassidy Brooks (9) and Cape Breton's Ally Rowe (7). Renaud is tied with Ottawa's Cassandra Provost and Guelph's Olivia Brown. Nine others are deadlocked with five apiece.
 
The last time that a member of the Martlets tallied six in a season was in 2001 when Thalia Krauth-Ibarz accomplished that feat in a COVID-shortened eight-game season. Since 2007, only two Martlets have had a higher single-season total, with Audrey-Ann Coughlan (2015) registering 11 goals in 13 games and Magalie Kolner (2007) with nine in 14 games.
 
McGill plays next on Sept.20 when hosting Sherbrooke (1-3-1) in a 6 p.m. kickoff at Molson Stadium. Laval plays the same night when hosting Concordia (0-4-1).

MARTLETS MURMURS: Numerous minor soccer teams were in attendance for this event, which was part of McGill's Women in Sport initiative, a program managed by Roxane Carrière, which aims to advance the role of women as athletes, coaches and decision-makers by increasing the number of full-time female coaches and helping female athletes become future leaders. The game was sponsored by Kiehl's, which handed out free apothecary skin-care products to fans.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
 
RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS
 

SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL: 514-983-7012
E-MAIL:earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca