M-Soccer Roundup: McMaster topples No. 1 York, ending Lions 24-game unbeaten streak

HAMILTON, Ont. - Recapping the men's soccer action from around the OUA.

Sept. 15 Ryerson @ Toronto

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's soccer team fell 3-0 to the Ryerson Rams on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Varsity Centre.

With the loss, the Blues drop to 1-2-1 and sit fifth, while the Rams improve to 3-0-1 and are in third place in the OUA East division.

Ryerson's Armin Tankovic opened the scoring in the 10th minute of the match as he placed the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. Fifth-year midfielder Alex Braletic (Thornhill, Ont.) extended the Rams lead 12 minutes later when he capitalized on a U of T turn over and made no mistake finding the back of the net.

Martin Dabrowski added an insurance marker in the 90th minute to round out the scoring.

The Varsity Blues start a six-game road schedule this Saturday, Sept. 21 as they travel to Kingston, Ont., to take on the RMC Paladins. Game time is set for 3:15 p.m.

Source: Toronto Sports Info

UOIT @ York

Bouncing back from their first loss of the season on Friday (Sept. 13), the No.1 nationally ranked York Lions cruised to an impressive 4-0 victory over the UOIT Ridgebacks at York Stadium, improving to 5-1-0 on the season.
 
The Lions drew first blood, as Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto) knocked in his fifth goal of season against goalkeeper Matt Caldaroni (Pickering, Ont.) in the 11th minute of the first half. The score moved Kaye past teammate Jonathan Lao (Unionville, Ont.) for top spot on the team in goals. The Lions would take the 1-0 lead into halftime.
 
Lao decided to keep the points race close, as he opened the second half with a beautiful chip shot of his own for his fifth goal of season, tying Kaye for team lead.
 
The Ridgebacks Jerome Green (Pickering, Ont.) added an own-goal in the 63rd minute to extend York's lead to 3-0. Domenic Gullo (Newmarket, Ont.) would also join the goal rush, burying a  a late 73rd minute score to extend the lead to the eventual final, 4-0.
 
Goaltender Sotiri Varlokostas (Toronto) would claim his third shutout of the year, with 3 saves on the day.
 
The Lions now hit the road running for the next four games, beginning with the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday (Sept. 21) at 3:15 p.m. Action returns to York Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 5) against the McMaster Marauders at 3:15 p.m.

Source: York Sports Info

Westren @ Laurier

WATERLOO, Ont. (September 15, 2013) - The No. 7 Wilfrid Laurier men's soccer team hit the field in hopes of rebounding from their first loss of the season to the Guelph Gryphons on Friday. The Golden Hawks took on the Western Mustangs, who were eager to forget a 5-1 loss to York University in their previous match. Source: Laurier Sports Info

Guelph @ Brock

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - The Brock University men's soccer team (0-4-2 OUA) dropped a hard fought 1-0 decision to the Guelph Gryphons Sunday afternoon at home. 

Guelph got on the board in the 18th minute when All-Canadian Robert Murphy beat Brock senior goalkeeper Jake Sweetzer (Mississauga, Ont.) for his fifth goal of the season and 39th of his career.

Guelph outshot Brock 10-4 in the opening half, but it was Sweetzer coming up big on two occasions to keep it a one-goal game.

In the second half, Brock would continue to pressure with junior midfielder Sammy Orlando (Woodbridge, Ont.) getting two key scoring opportunities, but hit the shots just wide of the goal.

Things got a little heated on both sides in the final 10 minutes with five yellow cards being handed out.

Sweetzer finished the contest with 14 saves in the loss. Guelph starter Niklas Wetterling recorded seven saves for the shutout.

The Badgers return to action on Homecoming Weekend when they host the Western Mustangs (Sept. 21) and Waterloo Warriors (Sept. 22). Both games are scheduled for 3:15 p.m.

Source: Brock Sports Info

Windsor @ McMaster

The Marauders made the most of a well-crafted early lead on Sunday, riding a two-goal first half to a 3-1 victory over the Windsor Lancers. The win extended McMaster's winning streak to four games, and saw them keep pace with the Guelph Gryphons for second in the OUA West standings.

The opening score came almost immediately for the Marauders, as Paterson Farrell poached his second goal of the season – and second in as many games – in the 10th minute. McMaster continued to probe with intelligent runs as the half wore on, and their effort paid off with a second goal in the 24th minute.

A well-worked series of passes brought Gersi Xhuti to the goal line with pace, and he lifted a cross into the box that Nate Morris latched onto and converted from close range. The goal was Morris' third, making him the Marauders top scorer through six games.

Windsor halved the deficit just before the halftime whistle, through an inspired piece of play on the part of Michael Pio. The forward took possession along the left wing and backed the Marauder defenders off with a powerful run, before releasing a low drive that stayed inside the far post.

The Lancers threatened on a couple occasions in the second half, and forced an acrobatic save from Angelo Cavalluzzo midway through the period. But it was McMaster – capitalizing on Windsor's increasing desperation – that stuck before game's end. Lancer goalkeeper Dejo Olagbegi raced out to take hold of a loose ball in injury time, but was beaten to it by Marauder rookie Sascha Ricciuti, who rolled his first goal in Maroon and Grey over the line to put the match out of reach.

McMaster faces a quick turnaround as it looks to extend its winning streak and pile the pressure on the division leaders. The Marauders play host to the Waterloo Warriors at Ron Joyce Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 18. That game follows the preceding women's match, and is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.

Source: McMaster Sports Info

Queen's @ Nipissing

The Nipissing Lakers men’s soccer team were blanked 3-0 by the visiting Queen’s Gaels on a rainy Sunday afternoon at the Steve Omischl sports complex.

The Lakers were looking to sustain their momentum after beating RMC, knew it was not going to be easy against a skilled opponent like Queen's. It did not take long for the Gaels to get a quality scoring chance as Oliver Coren directed a dangerous free quick that Lakers keeper Grainger Munro directed over the cross bar as he made a nice diving save.

Saturday's hero, Darius Tignanelli, made a nifty move as he stopped the ball with his chest and made a quick pass to teammate Neil VanDeWalle who fired a quick shot from just outside the 18 yard box that went wide right.

Perhaps the Lakers best chance came minutes later as Jean-Michel Paulin made a run down the left flank and fired a shot at the Queen’s keeper who couldn’t corral the rebound. Paulin then ran to the rebound and crossed a perfect ball to the opposite corner in which Tignanelli slid to try to direct the ball but was just a half second too late as the ball passed him and went wide of the net.

In the 43rd minute Queen’s would strike first as they were awarded a free kick that was taken by Coren who fired off a shot that deflected off the Laker wall and changed direction past a helpless Munro.

The half ended with the Gaels leading 1-0.

In the second half both teams exchanged some chances but the keepers were the difference making some quality saves.

The game that up-to-date yielded very little in terms of drama all changed at the 84th minute when Queen’s took the ball up-field and took a 2-0 lead when Chris Wellsman made a terrific shot from the top of the 18 yard box.

With the Lakers down two goals the team pressed forward and were awarded a penalty kick when a Laker player was fouled in the box. With the opportunity to bring the game within one goal VanDeWalle stepped up and fired a shot however he missed high and right.

The Gaels sealed the victory in the 89th minute when the ball was sent through and Tommy Hong chipped the ball over a charging Munro to put the game out of reach. 

The Lakers record now drops to 2-4-0 while Queen’s improves to 2-1-1.

The Lakers will be back in action Sunday as they host the Carleton Ravens at 2:15 p.m.

Source: Nipissing Sports Info

RMC @ Laurentian

Coming into their game against the RMC Paladins on Sunday, the Laurentian Voyageurs men’s soccer team were looking to finish off their weekend with a victory at home. The men were able to do so, scoring a late goal off a corner in the second half, beating RMC 1-0.

The first half was uneventful for both teams, with no shots presenting any real threats to either goal keeper. The Voyageurs and Paladins fought for possession throughout the first 45 minutes of play, and struggled to find composure in the poor playing conditions.

The Voyageurs made some changes to their line up during the midway break, however they were unable to create any goal scoring opportunities until late in the half. Laurentian capitalized on a corner kick from first year Christopher Atkinson (Barrie, ON) at the 80th minute of play. Central defender Cameron Brooks (Whitby, ON) netted his first of the season, putting the Voyageurs up by one with 10 minutes remaining. Laurentian was able to hang onto their lead, beating RMC with a final score of 1-0.

The men now face the undefeated Carleton Ravens at home on Sept. 21st at 2:15 p.m.  Continue to follow your Voyageurs at www.luvoyageurs.com for up-to-date news and results.

Source: Laurentian Sports Info

Sept. 14 - Trent @ Carleton

The Carleton Ravens continued their winning ways on Saturday afternoon rolling over the Trent Excalibur 4-0.

Carleton entered Saturday’s game ranked No. 2 in the CIS.

Trent found out first hand why the Ravens (4-0-1) are considered one of the best teams in Canadian university soccer.

Striker Andrew Latty (Ottawa, ON) led the Ravens attack with three goals. Midfield Joey Kewin (London, ON) added a single.

Latty now has six goals in Carleton’s five games and leads the OUA in scoring.

“Coach (Sandy) Mackie expects me to score, that’s my role with the team, scoring goals is what I’m supposed to do,” said Latty after his three goal performance.

Carleton led the match 4-0 at the midway mark of the contest and maintained that lead until the final whistle.

Coach Mackie decided to play some of his alternates in the second half and was very pleased with their performance.

“With the four goal lead I decided to put in some of the rookies and was satisfied with their efforts,” Mackie said.

“I thought Marco Pozzi (Verona, Italy) played extremely well. Plus we had another shutout performance from goalkeeper Travis Chace.”

Carleton will travel North next weekend for a pair of games. On Saturday, Sept. 21, the Ravens will be in Sudbury for a 2:15 p.m. contest against Laurentian. The following day Sunday, Sept. 22 Carleton will meet the Nipissing Lakers in North Bay. Game time is 2:15 p.m.

Source: Carleton Sports Info

Windsor @ Brock

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The Brock University men's soccer team (0-3-2 OUA) fell to the hands of the Windsor Lancers (2-1-2 OUA) on Saturday afternoon by the score of 2-1.

All of the scoring came in the first half with Windsor striking first in the 24th minute on a goal scored by Chris Suta, the first of his OUA career.

It didn't take long for the Lancers to pick up their second goal of the game as Christian Mayorga scored on a rebound in the 26th minute to put them up 2-0. The goal was his fourth of the season, tying the league lead through five games.

Brock answered back in the 41st minute when freshman Seosa Agbonwanaten (Brampton, Ont.) made a nice play to setup junior Marcus Bernard (Thornhill, Ont.) who managed to put the ball away to give him his third goal of the campaign.

Windsor had a great number of opportunities from corner kicks. In the first half alone, the Lancers had eight corner kicks, finishing the game with a total of 12.

The Badgers will host the Guelph Gryphons (3-1-1 OUA) tomorrow afternoon at 3:15 p.m.

Source: Brock Sports Info

RMC @ Nipissing

North Bay’s own Darius Tignanelli picked a great time to score his first OUA goal propelling the Nipissing Lakers men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the visiting RMC Paladins.

Both teams started the game with a heavy emphasis on defence as evidenced by the lack of quality scoring chances on both sides.  As the first half wore on the Lakers were able to create some opportunities with the best coming as Brendan TeBrake fired a free kick that just sailed over the cross bar.

RMC would get a quality chance just before the end of half as the ball was headed from distance which forced Lakers keeper Grainger Munro to leap and direct the ball over the cross bar.

The first half would end in a 0-0 draw.

Early in the second half Tignanelli was sent in on a partial break on the right flank and fired a shot that hit the charging RMC keeper which deflected out of harm’s way. The Lakers from this point on seemed to gain momentum and confidence as they really began to win the possession game.

Although scoring chances we generated nothing materialized for either team and as the minutes ticked away it seemed as though the match would end in a draw. Cue the dramatics: In the 89th the Lakers collected a rather innocent looking turn over in the midfield which was quickly passes up the field followed with a perfect through ball for Tignanelli  who beat his defenders to the ball and blasted a shot past the RMC keeper.

It was a dramatic end  to the game the seemed approapriate for the events the were witnessed in the women’s game only hours earlier.

With the win the Lakers improve to 2-3-0 currently sitting forth in the OUA East division while RMC drops to 1-2-0.

The Lakers will be back in action tomorrow against the Queen’s Gaels and the game will be played at the Steve Omischl Sports Field Complex beginning at 2:15 p.m.

Source: Nipissing Sports Info

Queen's @ Laurentian

The Laurentian Voyageurs men’s soccer team were unable to hold a late lead, eventually drawing the visiting Queen's Gaels 1-1 on Saturday afternoon.

The first half of the game was a battle for possession between both teams. The Voyageurs and Gaels each had their chances, however neither team was unable to find the back of the net. Goaltenders Thomas Guscott (Sudbury, ON) and Dylan Maxwell (Vancouver, BC) kept their teams in the game, with the half ending at 0-0.

Both teams raised the intensity of the game during the second half, with opportunities created at each end of the field. The Voyageurs were able to capitalize off a free kick midway through the second half. Joel Levac (Cornwall, ON) scored his first OUA goal at the 66th minute of the game, putting the Voyageurs up by one. Queens put Laurentian’s defensive line under pressure in the last minutes of the game, and their persistence paid off, with Tommy Hong (Oakville, ON) scoring for the Gaels at the 81st minute of the game.

The men now face the RMC Paladins at home on Sept. 15 at 2:15 p.m.  Continue to follow your Voyageurs at www.luvoyageurs.com for up-to-date news and results.

Source: Laurentian Sports Info

Sept. 13 - Waterloo @ UOIT

OSHAWA, Ont. – The UOIT men’s soccer team earned their first win of the season as they defeated the University of Waterloo 2-1 on Friday night.

The Ridgebacks got off to a great start as second year midfielder Declan Weir (Whitby, Ont.) chipped a shot over the Waterloo goalkeeper just four minutes into the game.

UOIT would build on their lead at the 29 minute mark when John McMichael (Oshawa, Ont.) scored his first career OUA goal. Joe Vaz (Whitby, Ont.) would set up the play, beating his defender and sending a ball through the middle to McMichael in the slot. McMichael managed to one-time it into the back of the net to put the Ridgebacks up 2-0.

In the second half, Waterloo managed to cut the UOIT lead in half as Mohamed Aborig beat goalkeeper Travis Martin (Port Perry, Ont.) on a penalty kick with five minutes remaining in the game.

Waterloo would continue to press for the equalizer, but UOIT’s defence held up as the Ridgebacks earned three points. Ridgeback defender Menelek Luke (Pickering, Ont.) made a number of key stops in the late stages of the game while Martin had a solid performance in net.

With the win, UOIT is right back in the playoff mix as they trail the University of Windsor by just one point in the OUA western conference. The Ridgebacks sport a 1-3-1 record while Waterloo falls to 0-5-0.

The Ridgebacks will be on the road on Sunday as they take on the No. 1 ranked York Lions. York has outscored their opponents 17-3 heading into action this weekend.

Source: UOIT Sports Info

York @ McMaster

The McMaster Marauders brought their red-hot road form home with them, and used it to great effect on Friday night. Paterson Farrell scored the game's lone goal in the 51st minute as the Marauders completed a 1-0 victory over the CIS no. 1-ranked York Lions. The victory was McMaster's third-consecutive win since opening the OUA campaign 1-1.

The Lions came into Friday's contest at Ron Joyce Stadium with a spotless 4-0 record, having outscored their opposition 17-2. But the Marauders matched their visitors chance for chance, and fully deserved the final result.

Both teams emerged with an eye for goal as the game got underway, with a flurry of chances inside the opening 20 minutes. York held the possession advantage – as they would throughout the game – with McMaster countering effectively when the opportunity presented itself.

Play bogged down before the break, with the two teams unable to find a goal before the halftime whistle. But pace and invention returned to the pitch in the second, spurred in part by Farrell's opening goal.

The Marauders broke free down the left side, and a flat cross found Farrell's feet before the striker prodded an initial shot toward the York goal. Lions goalkeeper Sotiri Varlokostas saved, but spilled the rebound back to Farrell, who bundled in the second effort to put McMaster ahead.

The hosts had a glorious opportunity to double their advantage in the 67th minute, when Marco Gennaccaro found himself alone and on the end of a set piece, but the forward's header sailed over the bar.

Both teams saw near-goals go begging before the final whistle, with the Lions finding the crossbar from long range in the 70th minute and being forced to clear off their line 10 minutes later. McMaster's Karl Bicamumpaka put together a tremendous run to break into the penalty area in the closing minutes, but narrowly missed the far post with a sliding effort.

York piled on the pressure in search of a late equalizer, but McMaster remained disciplined in the back to see out an impressive home win. Angelo Cavalluzzo turned aside all of the nine shots he faced to record his first clean sheet of the season.

The Marauders put their winning streak on the line on Sunday, September 15, when they welcome the Windsor Lancers (1-1-2) to Ron Joyce Stadium. The afternoon tilt is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.

Source: McMaster Sports Info

Guelph @ Laurier