CIS men's soccer Saturday roundup: Blues knock off No. 1 Lions, advance to OUA final

Photo credit Lindsay Nemeth

Saint Mary's 4, Cape Breton 1 Final 
AUS semifinal 1

SYDNEY, NS - It was a day made for Huskies. Through intermittent snow and bone-chilling wind, the sixth-seeded Saint Mary's Huskies continued their quest for back-to-back AUS banners with a decisive 4-1 victory over the top-seeded Cape Breton Capers in semifinal action at the 2011 Subway AUS Men's Soccer Championship in Sydney.  

Rory Kennedy and Chris MacEachern struck just five minutes apart at the 17th and 22nd minute marks to give SMU an early lead, which they carried into halftime.

Shayne Hollis cut the lead in half and breathed life into the regular season champion Capers when he scored at the 57-minute mark.

Ian Coke sealed the win for the Huskies, converting on a penalty kick in the 67th minute and Elvir Gigolaj added an insurance marker for the Huskies at 82 minutes.

The Huskies will now face the No. 2 seeded UPEI Panthers, who posted a come from behind 2-1 victory over the Dalhousie Tigers in the second semifinal of the day.

Source: Cape Breton Sports Info

Toronto 4, York 1 Final 
OUA semifinal 1

OTTAWA - Ezequiel Lubocki scored two goals as the No. 8 Varsity Blues men’s soccer team booked their ticket to the CIS championship with a huge 4-1 victory over the top-ranked and defending national champion York Lions in OUA semi-final action on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 5) at Carleton University.
 
The Blues will look to defend their OUA title as they take on the McMaster Marauders in the gold-medal match tomorrow at 3 p.m. McMaster defeated the host Carleton Ravens 3-2 in penalty kicks in the second semifinal on Saturday.
 
U of T will also join the host Victoria Vikings, Montreal Carabins, McGill Redmen, Cape Breton Capers and McMaster Marauders, as well as two undetermined teams, at the 2011 CIS men’s soccer championship, November 10-13.
 
The Lions struck first as OUA West all-star Adrian Pena sent a free kick off a Blues defender to beat U of T goalkeeper John Smits in the fifth minute of action.
 
Toronto answered back just six minutes later as second-year midfielder James Greatorex (London, UK) came streaking down the left side and sent the ball into traffic in front of the net.  Lubocki, a sophomore midfielder from Winnipeg, jumped on the loose ball and fired it past York goalkeeper Sotiri Varlokostas to even the score at 1-1.
 
Both teams had chances to capitalize throughout the remainder of the half, with neither able to convert.
 
The highlight of the first half came in the 25th minute as Blues captain Geoffrey Borgmann took down York’s Alon Badat inside the box.  Badat stepped up for the penalty kick, only to be denied by a diving Smits in what proved to be a repeat performance of last year’s OUA gold-medal match when the fourth-year goalkeeper stopped Pena’s first-half penalty kick en route to the OUA title.
 
The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 at the half.
 
Toronto was fired up to start the second half and it paid off.  In the 61st minute, Greatorex was taken down in front of the net by York’s Branko Majstorovic.  Majstorovic was given a red card and Lubocki stepped up for the penalty kick.  The OUA all-star made no mistake, sending a low, hard shot past Varlokostas to give the Blues a one-goal advantage.
 
Borgmann would add some insurance in the 76th minute, jumping on a through ball and chipping it past Varlokostas into a wide open net.
 
The Blues added another marker in extra time as a York defender attempted to clear the ball and fired it off rookie striker Jermaine Burrell and into the net.
 
NOTES: Toronto holds a 33-17-11 head-to-head record since their first meeting with York on Sept. 27, 1969.  The Blues also improve their playoff record versus the Lions to 6-4.

Source: Toronto Sports Info

UPEI 2, Dalhousie 1 Final 
AUS semifinal 2

SYDNEY, NS - Dalhousie opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Julian Perrotta found the back of the net.

The Tigers took the 1-0 lead into halftime, but UPEI came out strong in the second half.

Goals by Marc Pineau and Andrew Hayes just three minutes apart at 53 and 56 minutes gave the Panthers a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Saint Mary's and UPEI will square off for the AUS crown in a 1:00 p.m. start Sunday afternoon at the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex. The game will be available live via webcast at http://playerv2.streamit.ca/PlayerV2.aspx?eventid=39

Source: Cape Breton Sports Info

McMaster 3, Carleton 2 Final-PK 
OUA semifinal 2

OTTAWA - The Carleton University Ravens men’s soccer team went all the way to penalty kicks before losing to the McMaster University Marauders in OUA semifinal action on Saturday at Ravens’ Field.
 
Carleton will now play for bronze against the York University Lions on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 12 p.m.
 
In a case of history repeating itself, the Ravens had fallen to the Marauders in the OUA semifinals back in 2009 on penalty kicks.
 
The game started very evenly, with both teams not eager to commit too many players forward.
 
The Marauders opened the scoring in the seventh minute with Mark Reilly (Hamilton, Ont.) grabbing his first goal of the game. The Marauders had broken down the right wing and the chipped cross found Reilly in space and he buried the shot past Ravens goalie Mark Krocko (Ashton, Ont.).
 
The Ravens, stung by the early goal, were put on the back foot as they struggled to deal with McMaster’s offence. Reilly had a chance to double the Marauders’ lead just over fifteen minutes later as he found himself in space in the 18-yard box, only to see his shot saved by the onrushing Krocko.
 
The Ravens started to find their feet as the half wore on, pressuring McMaster’s goal with shots from distance. Josh Dewar-Morris (Ottawa) tied the game in the 31st minute off a beautiful shot as he grabbed his first goal of the playoffs. He took the ball from over 20 yards out and hit a curling left footed shot that the goalie could only push farther in to the top corner.
 
With the Ravens pressuring, halftime came as an unwanted interference.
 
The second half started with more attacking flair, but still very even. The Marauders thought they had taken the lead in the 63rd minute only to see the linesman’s flag disallow the goal for offside. While some of the Marauders started celebrating, the Ravens took the ball down the field and saw their shot go just wide of the goal post.
 
Carleton grabbed the lead two minutes later, in the 65th minute, with Sam McHugh (Russell, Ont.) getting his second goal of the playoffs. He took the ball 25 yards away from goal, beat a defender and unleashed a curling shot in to the top corner.
 
McMaster, showing why they are ranked second in the OUA West and seventh in the country, kept pressing and grabbed a last minute equalizer. Reilly popped up in the box in the 90th minute and saw his header beat Krocko to send the game to extra time.
 
The Ravens pressed hard for the winning goal in extra time but were unable to beat Marauders goalkeeper Matthew Grant (Brampton, Ont.).
 
The match went to penalty kicks. McHugh’s shot hit the crossbar for the Ravens. The Marauders buried all five of their shots to win 5-3 in penalties and book their ticket to the OUA championship game on Nov. 6 at 3 p.m.

Source: Carleton Sports Info

UBC 4, Trinity Western 3 Final-PK  
Canada West semifinal 1

VICTORIA, BC - Gagandeep Dosanjh reminded us that big-game players can do great things, as the shifty midfield-forward combo scored once in regulation and hammered home the winner in kicks from the penalty spot as the UBC Thunderbirds edged the Trinity Western Spartans in the first semifinal at the 2011 Canada West Championships Saturday afternoon at Centennial Stadium.

James Farenhorst scored the regulation goal for Trinity Western but was stopped by Thunderbirds goalkeeper Luke O'Shea on the final penalty kick in the shootout.

The deadlock was broken in the 49th minute when Dosanjh streaked through, splitting the defence and taking a pass from Haley, driving the ball low to beat Spartans goalkeeper Andrew Fink and give UBC the 1-0 cushion. But the Spartans tied the game when Farenhorst converted on a Schmidt corner kick, driving the ball home on a beautiful header in the 63rd minute.

Dosanjh, a constant thorn in the side of the Spartans defence, thought he scored UBC's second goal in the 76th minute but the referee ruled he had fouled Trinity Western's goalkeeper Fink and disallowed the goal.

A handball call on Trinity Western at the top of the 18-yard box in the 83rd minute, but Navid Mishinchi's shot sailed over the crossbar and out of play.

O'Shea made two big saves in the final five minutes of regulation, robbing Schmidt inside the box and stopping Liam McAllister's header in the fina minute.

In the kicks from the penalty spot, Brendan Bonifacio, Marco Visintin, Devin Gunenc and Dosanjh scored for UBC, while Kent O'Connor hit the the joint of the crossbar and goal post. Gant, going off O'Shea then the post and then in, Shawn Parkes and Goran Vitic scored on penalty kicks for the Spartans, with Schmidt and Farenhorst being stopped by O'Shea.

If UVic wins in the second semifinal with Alberta - the Golden Bears currently lead 2-1 in the 80th minute – UBC qualifies for the nationals. If not Alberta faces UBC for the Canada West berth at the CIS national tourney.

Source: Victoria Sports Info

Alberta 2, Victoria 1  Final  
Canada West semifinal 2

VICTORIA - Jay Vetsch was solid in goal as the Alberta Golden Bears upset the University of Victoria Vikes 2-1 in the second Canada West semifinal on Saturday afternoon at Centennial Stadium.
 
Peter Richmond scored the lone Vikes goal, while Kellen Stenger and Brett Colvin tallied for Alberta.
 
"This is huge for us," Vetsch said. "For us to beat them was important. We had a lot of pressure on us in the back, especially near the end of the game, but we had great shape and we were able to defend well out wide and by dropping a second centre-back inside on them."
 
The Alberta win snaps a 12-game unbeaten streak for the No. 3 nationally ranked Vikes and sets up another underdog situation for Alberta, as the Golden Bears face the No. 5 nationally ranked UBC Thunderbirds in Sunday's Canada West final (2:15 p.m., Centennial Stadium. UBC needed penalty kicks but defeated the Trinity Western Spartans 2-1, thanks to a 4-3 edge in penalty kicks.

Live video and live stats for tomorrow's final are available at http://canadawest.tv.
 
"We will have to maintain our shape in the back if we want to beat UBC," Vetsch said. "And we well have to capitalize on our opportunities."
 
UVic faces Trinity Western for bronze on Sunday at 12 p.m. on Field 4, located just behind Centennial Stadium. Live stats are available at http://canadawest.tv. The Vikes will still advance to the CIS national men's soccer championship in Victoria Nov. 10-13 as the tournament host.
 
Stenger opened the scoring for Alberta in the 20th minute off a turnover, freezing the Vikes defence, switching from his right foot to his left, and drilling the ball off the post and into the net, past Vikes goalkeeper Elliot Mitrou. It was the first goal the Vikes had surrendered since Oct. 22 - a shutout streak of over 308 minutes.
 
UVic had several chances in the opening half including a Jordie Oberg shot that rang off the crossbar in the 24th minute.
 
It was a physical affair featuring eight cards.
 
The Vikes got a couple of lucky bounces - including an Alberta shot off the post and a few timely blocks from the UVic defence - and escaped down 1-0 at the halftime break.
 
"We were fortunate to be down just one at the half," said Vikes head coach and 2011 Canada West coach of the year Bruce Wilson. "But I was happy with our effort in the second half. Sometimes you don't get the bounces - we had a post, a crossbar - sometimes they just don't go your way."
 
UVic showed off its depth making two excellent substitutions at the half that created the tying goal from Richmond.
 
Another substitute, 2011 Canada West rookie of the year Cam Hundal, pressured Vetch and forced a mistake from the otherwise flawless Alberta keeper. The ball graciously bounced to Richmond who chipped it into an open net in the 48th minute to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Stenger was sent off with his second yellow card in the second half for an aggressive tackle on Hundal.

The Vikes hit a post and a crossbar, with a number of great chances generated by the group of Hundal, Mallette and Richmond, but UVic was unlucky and when the ball did find the target, Vetsch was there to make one of his seven saves on the day.
 
On Alberta's only chance of the second half, Colvin scored the game-winning goal despite the fact the Golden Bears were down to 10 men, connecting in the 71st minute off a turnover at the back by UVic. Colvin collected the ball and dribbling into the box to beat Mitrou low.
 
Gorman had two great chances in the final 10 minutes - in the 83rd minute his volley was blocked and then in the 85th minute he just missed the ball on a great cross.
 
The Vikes could not capitalize on their final three chances. Craig Taylor's header in the 88th minute set up by a Richmond head-flick and a Wes Barrett free-kick that went off the crossbar in the 89th minute. Taylor was stopped again in the final minute just as the final whistle sounded.
 
"We made a couple of very bad plays in our defence and that ultimately cost us," Wilson said. "And they scored on their only chance in the second half. We got punished for a mistake."

Source: Victoria Sports Info