UdeM Too Much for ConU
Stingers’ Effort No Match for Carabins
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A potent Université de Montréal offense was too much for Concordia’s women’s soccer team to handle on Sunday, as they were downed 4-1 on home turf. Despite going down two quick-fire goals late in the first half, the Stingers never stopped fighting.
Early in the game, neither side dominated in possession. As the Stingers tried hard to break down the defense with their sharp passes, the Carabins threatened with free kicks, as midfielder Véronique Maranda curled balls in to the penalty area.
Later in the half, the Carabins appeared more organized, and with five minutes to go, broke the deadlock. Striker Eva Thouvenot-Hébert noticed the Stinger goalkeeper off her line, and lobbed in a shot from 20 yards out.
Thouvenot-Hébert struck again shortly after, as Stingers struggled to gain composure on defense. This time, Thouvenot-Hébert finished off low, hard cross from the left side. The Carabins continued to threaten for the last few minutes of the half.
Stingers coach Jorge Sanchez was hoping that his side would go into halftime tied. “They’ve given up three goals all season. If the game goes to the half 0-0, I think maybe the pressure‘s then on them to find solutions… It changes the complex,” Sanchez said.
Although Stingers came out strong in the second half, they could not stop the Carabins’ attack. Thouvenot-Hébert completed her hat trick less than 10 minutes after kick-off with a clinical finish. Collecting the ball in from the wing, the striker took one touch and poked the ball past the oncoming keeper.
The Stingers did not give up, finally receiving some consolation with 19 minutes left, courtesy of a Carabins own goal. Defender Claudiane Tremblay tried to head the ball out of bounds, but instead the ball crept past her own keeper.
The Carabins scored once more in the dying moments, however, this time off a corner kick. Maranda, who looked dangerous on set plays all game, connected with Virginie Lévesque, who netted the final goal of the day.
Coach Sanchez was proud of his team, as they stayed in the game against one of the best teams in the country. “We’re seeing progress from game to game in terms of how we compete and how we play, it’s just that we can’t seem to put a whole game together,” Sanchez said.
The Stingers will try to salvage a win on Oct. 21 when they visit the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins, and again on Oct. 23, when the Bishop’s University Gaiters come to town. Kickoffs are at 6:30 p.m. and at 1:00 p.m. respectively.
