Despite Loss, Stingers Gain Respect

Soccer Men Almost Pull out a Tie Against McGill, Fall to Bottom of Division

SportsJoel Suss — Published September 21, 2010

The Concordia men’s soccer team succumbed to a stronger McGill Redmen squad in heartbreaking fashion, losing 2-1 at Loyola Campus last Sunday.

McGill was able to score the decisive goal during injury time and avoided going to extra time against their rivals from
the other end of Sherbrooke Street.

With the victory, McGill’s record now stands at 2-1-0, good for third overall in the standings. Concordia lost to U de M on Friday by a score of 6-1 and is now stuck at the bottom of the standings with a record of 0-3-0.

“We deserved a tie for sure,” said forward Matthijs Eppinga following the game against McGill. Eppinga scored
the Stingers’ only goal against the Carabins on Friday.

When McGill opened the scoring only two minutes into the match, it seemed as though the Stingers would be in for a long afternoon. However, the squad regrouped and a stout defence led by Michael Al Tork was able to keep the Redmen off the scoreboard for the rest of regulation time.

McGill’s first goal was scored by veteran Yohann Capolungo and assisted by Jeremy Hurdle. Capolungo remained a dangerous offensive threat the entire game, repeatedly setting up brilliant plays with excellent touches.

Nevertheless, the Concordia defence was up to the task, double-covering Capolungo for much of the game and daring other members of the McGill squad to rise to the challenge.

In the end, it was an all-out rush by the Redmen that proved fruitful as team captain Thomas Lucas scored the winner for his side.

The defensive scheme, a standard 4-4-2 formation, was unable to withstand the last-second push by the more experienced Redmen.

The lone goal by the Stingers was sublime, causing the supporters in the stands to rise to their feet for an extended celebration. The goal was a header by midfielder Claude-Arthur Diesse, who scored in the 56th minute off a perfectly placed corner kick from Ryan Brousseau.

This meeting had all the markings of a grudge match between the cross-town rivals. Both sides know each other well and are keen to gain the upper-hand as far as bragging rights go.

“They trampled us a year ago,” remarked veteran Stingers defender Al Tork. “We wanted to show that we weren’t going to be pushed around out there.”

Despite five yellow cards by the Redmen and a lot of rough play, the Stingers held their own and provided a very exciting match.

Although the victory column remains empty for the Stingers, at least they’ve gained in the respect column by battling one of the top teams in the league. The next game against McGill will be played at Percival Molson Stadium on Oct. 29.

Next up for the Concordia Stingers is a match at Laval on Friday, Sept. 24.

This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 06, published September 21, 2010.