Duff’s got the right stuff

Trying to put a disappointing season behind them and build momentum for next year, the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team had a solid weekend, salvaging two ties against the UQAM Citadins 2-2 and Bishop’s Gaiters 1-1. The ties weren’t easy for Concordia, despite carrying the lead in both.

Trying to put a disappointing season behind them and build momentum for next year, the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team had a solid weekend, salvaging two ties against the UQAM Citadins 2-2 and Bishop’s Gaiters 1-1.
The ties weren’t easy for Concordia, despite carrying the lead in both. Against UQAM they allowed a goal in the game’s last five minutes. The team only wanted to carry positives out of the weekend.
In the first game Friday evening, it was early domination in the Citadin zone. The Stingers capitalized the majority, but were unable to get one past their goalkeeper. Her counterpart, Fanny Berthiaume, played solidly when she was tested throughout the first half.
UQAM, who desperately needed the win to stay in playoff contention, weren’t happy with the tie. The Citadins opened the scoring at the 57-minute mark, when Andréanne Pelletier scored the first goal past a lunging Berthiaume. “We know they (UQAM) really wanted the win, and we ruined their chances,” said third-year forward Karen Stewart.
Concordia didn’t let the deficit affect them, and they continued to play hard. “Throughout the season, when down one, we’d fold, now we stayed in and came back,” said coach Jorge Sanchez. “Emotionally it made me happy to be coaching.”
At the 75-minute mark Stinger forward Jennifer Duff scored her third goal, and first of two on the weekend wiring a hard shot past the goalkeeper. Five minutes later on a one-on-one rush, Concordia forward Emily Hubbard beat the goalie. The ball hit off both posts and trickled past the goal line, with the goaltender out to cut down Hubbard’s angle. The goal gave the Stingers a lead with just under 10 minutes to play. It was her first goal of the season, “It’s a giant load off my shoulders,” said Hubbard, “Personally and team-wise we played a good game.”
With time running down on the clock UQAM forward Christine Chatigny tied it with only five minutes left to play. “It’s not a win but it’s a step in the right direction,” said Sanchez.
On Sunday afternoon before a home crowd the Stingers took on the last-place Gaiters.
Sanchez elected to play his other goalkeeper Jessie Davis, giving Berthiaume the afternoon off.
The fans had barely arrived at their seats when in the sixth minute Duff connected on her second goal in two games and knocked in the loose ball with a pass from Hubbard. “It gave us the momentum to push harder,” said Duff.
The game was a lot of back and forth action between the two sides, with the Stingers playing stronger and keeping the ball more in the Gaiter defensive half.
Gaiter captain Stephanie Burnett came close with a shot on the ground snagged into the hands of Davis. However, at the 24th minute, she got her revenge sending one just under Davis at a similar angle. “It’s unfortunate, they had one chance and they scored on it,” said Sanchez.
At half time the teams were deadlocked at one.
During stoppage time Stingers’ Karen Stewart sprinted down the field and sent a one-touch cross over to Monica White who fired a shot right in the side of the face of Gaiter goalkeeper Kristen Cheng making an unbelievable stop.
“Same old story of the season,” said Sanchez. “Close but not close enough.”
“It’s disappointing to lose a lead with the one mistake,” said Stinger captain Allison Burgess. “As usual our little lapses caught up to us.”
The Stingers close out their regular season this weekend with two home games against Laval Rouge et Or and McGill Martlets on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. respectively.

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