Montreal edges UBC in tight contest to advance to national semifinal
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | UBC | Montreal |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 17 (8) | 12 (4) |
| Saves | 2 | 7 |
| Fouls | 12 | 17 |
| Corner Kicks | 0 | 1 |
| Offsides | 5 | 0 |
The second-seeded Montreal Carabins are through to the semifinal of the 2025 U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the seventh-seeded UBC Thunderbirds in Thursday's second quarterfinal at Varsity Stadium.
In a match defined by physical play and momentum swings, the RSEQ champion Carabins struck first. Maxime Filion opened the scoring in the 19th minute, finishing a play set up by Zacharie Belamri to give Montreal an early lead.
The Canada West finalists from UBC responded with lightning speed. Just over a minute later, Theo Afework found the equalizer, pouncing on a chance in the 21st minute to level the score at 1-1, a scoreline that would hold until halftime.
The second half saw UBC control much of the possession and generate more shots, but they were repeatedly frustrated by a stout Montreal defense and goalkeeper Joakim Milli, who made four of his seven saves after the break to keep the game tied.
The Carabins capitalized on their opportunity in the 74th minute. Substitute Orene Cohen became the hero, scoring his first goal of the season to put Montreal ahead 2-1 and ultimately secure the victory. The win was a disciplined, if not dominant, performance from Montreal, who were outshot 17-12 by a relentless UBC side.
With the win, Montreal advances to the national semifinal tomorrow, where they will face the York Lions in a highly anticipated matchup. The loss ends UBC's championship run, and they will play the Dalhousie Tigers in a consolation game tomorrow at 11 a.m.
NIKE TEAM PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
UBC: Markus Kaiser
MTL: Orene Cohen