Stingers 1, Citadins 1: The Stingers earn one point at home
The men’s soccer team extended its undefeated streak to five games
The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team managed one point against the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins on Sunday, Sept. 22, with a final score of 1-1.
Regardless, the Stingers were disappointed with the result. Captain Lundon Durand Browne alluded to the game on Sept. 20 being a factor in the team’s performance on Sunday.
“We were lower than average, and a little sloppier,” Browne said. “We had the fatigue of a tough Friday game away and it’s not up to the standards we’ve shown all season.”
Carrying a four-game winning streak into yesterday’s fixture, the Stingers faced a 1-3-1 Citadins side, whose only win came in the season’s first game.
The Stingers were facing a motivated Citadins team looking to rebound from a 4-1 defeat to the Université de Montréal Carabins.
Twenty minutes into the game, the centre-back pairing of Zackiel Brault and Olivier Langué Dubé was noticeably strong, following a few Citadins attacking opportunities.
Through 25 minutes, the Stingers only managed one shot on target.
Right before the half, Concordia goalkeeper Jordy Kerlegrand made a fantastic stop to prevent Citadins midfielder Émile Ouellette from finding the scoresheet.
As the halftime whistle blew, both teams were left scoreless.
At the break, the Stingers made one substitution, bringing on midfielder Olivier Roy.
Roy broke the tie in the 58th minute and scored from short range. He has now scored a team-leading three goals in six games. Following the game, Roy mentioned how strong he finds this year’s group to be, from the players on the pitch to the coaches on the sideline.
“It’s my third year here and I’ve never been so well looked after,” Roy said.
He alluded to the team’s mentality as one of their strengths, saying “we have a winning mentality and we’ll never give up until we score.”
Two minutes after the Stingers opened the scoring, the Citadins found the net with forward Daoud Mardi scoring off the crossbar. It was the first goal Concordia had conceded since their home opener.
In the last few minutes, both teams had some chances to steal all three points, but as the final whistle blew, the Stingers extended their undefeated run to five games with a 1-1 draw.
Coach Kouyabe Ignegongba was hoping for a better result and felt his side could’ve gotten all three points. However, he noted that their recent stretch remains a positive one, regardless of their draw to the Citadins.
The Stingers were playing their second game in 48 hours, and their third in seven days. Ignegongba asserts the risks that come with a condensed schedule.
“Three games in seven days, two games in less than 48 hours, whichever way you look at it with everything we know about recovery and injury risk, it’s problematic,” Ignegongba said.
The Stingers will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 27 against the McGill Redbirds at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
