Tag: Men’s Soccer

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Stingers draw to Patriotes in hard-fought game

The men’s soccer team is still searching for their first win

The spotlight was on the Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team once again as they hosted Université du Quebec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) in a must-win game. Unfortunately for the Stingers they came up short, drawing 0-0.

“It’s disappointing,” said assistant coach Francois Bastien. “We needed a better result and we didn’t get it.”

The Stingers came out with a surge of energy in the first half, but looked a little nervous. At times, they seemed disorganized as passes were not connecting. The Patriotes were simply winning more battles.

However, in the 10th minute of play, Stingers forward Vincent Murray jumped on a breakaway and had a beautiful opportunity to take the lead, but his chip just missed the net, skimming the crossbar.

Photo by Briana Thicke.

A few minutes later, UQTR took back control of the game, and as a result had a few glorious chances. At the 24th minute, Concordia defender Alexander Elali committed a foul inside the box and the Patriotes were given a penalty shot. Due to a great diving save from goalkeeper Wes Aucoin, the game stayed at nil-nil.

As the first half dwindled down, Concordia’s frustration was on full display. They were forcing plays, they failed to use open space and they were simply not communicating. The Stingers hadn’t had a shot anywhere near the net since Murray’s breakaway chance in the beginning of the game.

As the second half began, Concordia came out like a different team. They were all over the Patriotes, and you could tell that they were hungry for the win.

Concordia was pressuring UQTR for most of the second half, trapping them in their own zone and forcing their opponent to make mistakes. The Stingers were finally generating a handful of shots on net and had multiple quality chances. Concordia had finally forced open the Patriotes defense and were wearing them down late in the match.

As the game came to an end, the Stingers were scrambling and doing everything they could to get at least one in the back of the net. But the effort was too late.

“It’s been the same thing all season long. We have problems scoring goals,” said Bastien. “We have to give credit to our rookie goaltender [Wes Aucoin] and defenceman Olivier Georges, they are the ones making the difference defensively. But you can have all the possession in the world, if you don’t score goals, you’re not going to win.”

Concordia sits in second-to-last place with a total of five points. Though it is mathematically possible for the Stingers to make the playoffs this season, with only four games left, their chances are few.

“We need to work on generating opportunities,” said Bastien. “This has been the problem all year long.”

The Stingers host Université de Montréal at Loyola on Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. The Carabins are one of the strongest teams in the league, so they’ll need all the help they can get.

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Stingers score late to spoil Carabins’ win

Photo by Nikolas Litzenberger.

Although they remain winless, a wild ending gives Concordia their fourth tie of the season.

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team was still looking for their first win of the season when they hosted Université de Montréal on Friday, Sept. 26. After three draws and two losses to open the season, the Stingers still can’t catch a break. Once again, Concordia played hard to earn a 1-1 draw against the Carabins.

The game got off to strong start for both teams as each team had chances in the early stages.  Good opportunities on net were met by even better goaltending and stiff defense. Although it was an up-and-down first half, neither team could finish their attacks and both squads went into the halftime without a goal.

The second half started with a relentless Carabins attack. Looking to get the first goal of the game, the Carabins were determined to get through Concordia’s defense. Luckily for the Stingers, goaltender Wes Aucoin stood in the way and made some incredible saves to keep the score tied at 0-0.

Photo by Nikolas Litzenberger.

Ten minutes into the second half, the Carabins finally got on the board when Maxime Laurey set up his fellow midfielder, Adama Sissoko, who beat Aucoin to open the scoring and give the Carabins a 1-0 lead.

The Stingers pushed hard to equal the score as they dominated possession and got multiple shots on net. It looked as if Concordia was on their way to their third loss of the season. Late in the game the Stingers looked down and out, but their tenacity eventually paid off.

In extra time, to the dismay of the Carabins players and coaches, the Stingers were given a free kick just outside the box. Stingers defenseman Stephen Meterissian stepped up and delivered a kick that sent the ball sailing into the net after being deflected by one the Carabins’ defenseman. After the ensuing kickoff, the referee signaled the end of the game, and that’s when things turned ugly.

Carabins players, coaches, and even parents came onto the field to protest the call of the goal, arguing that there was interference with the goalkeeper as the ball went into the back of the net.

Stingers goalkeeper coach Nicholas Giannone had to step in to stop a fight between the Carabins coach and the referee.

“I think it was a crazy match honestly, it was good for the fans and we’re actually happy with the point but it shows there is a lot of work to be done and we just didn’t capitalize on our chances,” said Giannone.

After his last-minute goal, Meterissian was relieved that something finally went their way.

“It felt good to get that goal late in the game. Our issue was [that] we couldn’t score on our chances but I liked how we kept the pressure and we kept pushing and creating offense,” Meterissian said.

Hopefully, this is a sign of good things to come as the Stingers head into the second half of the season.

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Concordia falls to Sherbrooke in close loss

Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Men’s soccer squad came up short once again at home and are still searching for their first win

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team was looking to capture their first win of the season Sunday, but the Sherbrooke Vert et Or did not give it to them. The Stingers came up short as they fell 1-0 in a frustrating loss.

“It was extremely disappointing,” said head coach Greg Sutton after the game. “We didn’t come with the right effort or with the right mentality.”

Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Sherbrooke came out strong in the first half as they kept the Stingers in their own zone, forcing them to defend for most of the first half. The Vert et Or had an obvious edge over the Stingers as they forced Concordia’s goalkeeper, Wes Aucoin, to make a few exceptional saves.

However, during the 21st minute of play, Sherbrooke forward Omar Rahmouni booted the ball at the net, where Aucoin was able to make the initial save but could not hold onto the ball. That’s when Rahmouni’s fellow teammate, Didier Labarre, pounced on the rebound and sailed it past Aucoin, into the back of the net.

After the first goal, the Stingers were determined to push hard to get the equalizer. At the 25th minute, defenseman Stephen Meterissian tapped the ball into the Sherbrooke net after a scramble off of a corner kick from midfielder Gabriel Quinn, but it was called offside. Concordia continued pushing, but the Sherbrooke defense would not budge. The Stingers headed into halftime down 1-0.

Concordia started the second half stronger than they did the first, looking re-energized as they desperately tried to tie the score. In spite of their effort, Sherbrooke did not let up and continued to push back, not allowing Concordia to create any momentum at all.

Photo by Brianna Thicke.

As the final 20 minutes loomed, the Stingers found themselves scrambling to score at least one goal to level the score. Both their urgency and frustration were on full display as Concordia stepped up their physicality level, expressing their anger through slide tackles, which forced the referee to call countless fouls against the Stingers.

As the game dwindled down, with both teams creating chances, Concordia finally began pressing offensively. As a result, the Stingers created a few nail-biting opportunities. At the 75th minute, Concordia forward Kevin Yasbek blasted the ball at the net on a breakaway chance, just missing the post, highlighting one of Concordia’s best chances of the game.

But it wasn’t enough.

“It wasn’t our day and I don’t have an explanation,” Sutton said. “We need to work on our competitiveness and get back to the basics because that’s what killed us today.”

The Stingers now sit 0-1-2 in this season. Coach Sutton looks to shake things up next game, as the team hopes to turn a new leaf when they face Université de Montreal on Sept. 26.

“It’s back to the drawing board,” said Sutton. “I guess we’re going to have to make changes and I’m going to have to sit back and think about it.”

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Stingers draw in hard fought game

Men’s team robbed after two questionable calls

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team was looking to get their first win of the season on Friday night against the Laval Rouge et Or. After a back-and-forth game, the spirited contest ended in a 2-2 draw, earning the Stingers their first point of the season.

The first half of the game started off as a tight defensive battle between the two squads. Although each team had their chances to score, no one could hit the back of the net. At the 32nd minute, the Stingers were called for a harmless foul inside the box and the referee awarded Laval a penalty kick.

Photo by Brianna Thicke

The call infuriated the Stingers players and their head coach Greg Sutton, who spent a lot of time arguing with the referee until finally being ejected from the game. Laval forward Patrice Dion walked up to the penalty spot and booted the ball past Concordia’s goalkeeper, Wes Aucoin, to give the Rouge et Or a 1-0 lead. The Stingers, who pushed hard to try and level the score but couldn’t beat Laval’s defense, headed into halftime down 1-0.

Concordia started the second half off strong as they continued to push for the equalizer. Four minutes in, midfielder Gabriel Quinn got the ball off a turnover and fired a great shot past Laval’s keeper. The tying goal seemed to energize the Stingers as they continued to attack the net, looking for the lead.

At the 60th minute, Concordia got the lead when another poor mistake by Laval led to another turnover. Stingers midfielder Nick Sisti led the counterattack and finished the play off with a strike, beating Laval’s defense and giving Concordia the 2-1 lead. With the Stingers dominating the game now, a victory seemed within reach.

Just when the Stingers had all the momentum, tragedy struck when the referee called a tripping foul in Concordia’s box, giving Laval its second penalty kick of the match. Although the Stingers sideline erupted in protest, the referee had sealed Concordia’s fate. Dion stepped up again for Laval and made no mistake, scoring on Aucoin and tying the game at 2-2.

Concordia pushed hard in the final minutes, but the unfortunate calls were too much to overcome. After the game, Concordia’s goalkeeper coach Nicholas Giannone couldn’t believe what had happened.

“I honestly have mixed feelings about this game. We could have played much better and there is a lot of work to be done, and I still cannot believe the referee made those calls against us.”

Despite the draw, Sisti liked what he saw and admired his team’s resiliency.

“We could have played better but what I like is [that] this team didn’t give up.”

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Own goal eliminates Stingers from playoffs

After McGill and Montréal roster issues, the Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team found themselves—unexpectedly—in the RSEQ playoffs. The Stingers only had a few days to prepare for Friday night’s match in Quebec City against the Laval Rouge et Or.

Less than a week ago, on Sunday afternoon, both teams met in the final match of the regular season at Concordia Stadium. The Rouge et Or won the encounter 7-2. At the time, Concordia was already mathematically eliminated from playing in the post-season.

Friday night’s playoff match saw a rejuvenated Stingers side. Head coach Lloyd Barker lined his side up in a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. In terms of the starting lineup, there weren’t any surprises.

The opening seconds of the match were almost too good to be true for the maroon and gold. From the kick off, Concordia worked the ball inside the Laval penalty area. Rouge et Or goalkeeper Vincent Cournoyer had to make a good save to keep the game squared.

In the 10th minute, Laval midfielder Kevin Cossette and Concordia defender Enos Osei collided in the air, just outside the Stingers’ box. Cossette, a former Montreal Impact Academy player, went down and was motionless for 20 minutes after briefly losing consciousness. Fortunately he regained it as he was being stretchered off the pitch and into an ambulance.

Despite the serious injury, the match continued. In the 12th minute of stoppage time, Concordia almost went up after Andrew Bryan’s quick shot from outside the box struck the Laval crossbar.

Three minutes later, the Rouge et Or opened the scoring. A seemingly normal header back pass from a Stingers defender ended up in the back of the goal after a miscommunication with goalkeeper Remo Taraschi.

This was the only goal of the eventful first half.

“It was a very difficult moment,” Coach Barker said, referring to the own goal. “We fought like lions and felt our opponents didn’t deserve to be leading us at that point in the match.”

The second half was much quieter than the first half. On the hour mark, Laval should have doubled their lead, but Taraschi made an important save from a shot inside the box.

In the 79th minute, Laval had another opportunity to add the insurance marker. A good combination play on the flank left a Laval striker alone inside the box. Once again, Taraschi was forced to make a kick save to keep his side in the match.

Concordia was unable to find the target in this match, as final score ended 1-0 in favour of the Rouge et Or.

“We deserved a better result because we matched Laval in every department,” Barker said. “I’m certain we even surprised them with our great effort.”

The Stingers played an almost-perfect road match. The team came out strong and stayed aggressive throughout the 90 minutes. Pressure was relentless and they limited Laval’s opportunities. Barker says the team just lacked conviction when they were attacking.

“We needed someone to provide a moment of individual brilliance,” he said. “But it was not to be on the night. Our effort was not reflected on the scoreboard. I could not be more proud of how they all fought with all they had.”

With the loss, Concordia’s season is officially over. This was ConU’s first playoff game since 2003. That year the team lost to Montréal, 0-1, in the RSEQ finals.

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Back in business

With the soccer season coming to a close this past weekend, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec has announced major changes to the men’s final standings.

The McGill Redmen and the Montreal Carabins both admitted to using an ineligible player throughout the entire 2012 season. As a result, both teams have forfeited all matches in which the ineligible player took part in.

According to the statement released by RSEQ, “both institutions revealed to the RSEQ and Canadian Interuniversity Sport that they inadvertently allowed the participation of a player who is 20 years of age or older (as of Aug. 16) and who participated in a professional soccer match without respecting the mandatory 365 day waiting period. The CIS considers all soccer leagues outside of Canada and the United States to be professional in nature.

Montreal and McGill have been two of the top teams in the league over the past decade. Since 2002, the Carabins have topped the league eight times out of 10 and have been to the RSEQ finals seven times. They won the championship six times. McGill qualified for the playoff in eight of the past 10 seasons. They went to the finals four times and won the championship once in 2002.

The Redmen used an ineligible player in 11 of their 12 matches this season. This means every win or draw has now become a 0-3 loss. Seven of their 12 matches now have this as a score line, including both matches played against Concordia. McGill’s final record sees the team with zero wins, 12 losses and zero draws.

The Carabins are in the same boat as McGill. Seven of their matches have resulted in a 0-3 loss. Some games were not affected; therefore the team finishes the season with four wins, eight losses and zero draws. Both wins against Concordia have been forfeited.

For the Stingers, this means the team has added four wins to their season total. Their new record of five wins, six losses and one draw means the team has jumped from last place in the league to fourth place, and more importantly into the final playoff spot.

Stingers head coach Lloyd Barker believes certain roster rules should be revised. Along with McGill and Montreal, a similar thing happened to the Sherbrooke Vert et Or earlier in the season.

“The situation is odd indeed with so many schools in breach of league rules. Clearly the rules need re-visiting,” he said.

Stingers head coach Lloyd Barker believes certain roster rules should be revised. Along with McGill and Montreal, a similar thing happened to the Sherbrooke Vert et Or earlier in the season.

“The situation is odd indeed with so many schools in breach of league rules. Clearly the rules need re-visiting,” he said.

This will be Concordia’s first time in the playoffs since 2003. They made the RSEQ finals that year, but lost to the Carabins. In the past 10 seasons, the team has only played playoff soccer twice.

The Stingers will now play the Laval Rouge et Or this Friday, November 2 at Stade Telus in Quebec City. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The match is available online on Rouge et Or T.V.

 

Post updated on Nov. 1.

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Stingers fall to the Laval Rouge et Or

“We lost focus,” lamented defender Enos Osei, as the Stingers were handed a heavy loss at the hands of the Laval Rouge et Or. The Sunday afternoon match at Concordia Stadium officially brings the season to a close.

Concordia started the match well defensively. The team pressured Laval which resulted in a slow offensive game for the visitors and some counterattack opportunities for the Stingers. The good defensive play lasted until the 16th minute when Samuel Georget scored his first of his four goals for the Rouge et Or.

Concordia’s loss to Sherbrooke on Friday night ensured the team would not make the playoffs. This resulted in an uninspired performance on Sunday according to defender Christopher Mirasyedi.

“You don’t play as hard, or you’re not focused until the end, when you know there’s nothing to play for,” he said. “After a couple goals go in, you start to lose focus and start giving up. I think most of us were playing for fun.”

After going down 4-0 two minutes into the second half, Andrew Bryan scored the first goal for the Stingers in the 50th minute. Quick passing and an excellent through ball led the Laval keeper to a failed attempt at reaching the ball, leaving Bryan with an open net and an easy finish.

Their first goal gave the Stingers a shot of energy, as they began playing similarly to what was seen at the beginning of the game.

Only 10 minutes after the first goal, Stingers midfielder Amadou Lam scored from 45 yards out, when his cross from a set piece went untouched and bounced into the top corner of the Rouge et Or net.

The persistent Stingers were reorganized, and assistant coach François Bastien’s encouraging yells were heard from across the field.

Concordia’s hopes for a comeback were smashed when the official awarded Laval with a questionable penalty kick. Georget stepped up and converted the spot kick with ease.

Laval added a few more goals to make the final score 7-2. This was the most amount of goals conceded by the Stingers in one game this season.

Everyone fell silent, as disappointment rang through the players, coaches and fans. Hopes for a comeback were crushed much like hopes for reaching the playoffs were a couple of days earlier. With a majority of the players returning, the team hopes to see better chemistry and consistency lead them to the playoffs.

“We just got to be consistent,” said Bryan. “That’s all it is.”

Concordia officially ends the season with a record of two wins, eight losses and two draws for eight points. This is two points worse than last year’s total of 10.

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Stingers men’s soccer team keeps playoff hopes alive

Concordia's Stingers men's soccer team. Photo by Madelayne Hajek
Concordia’s Stingers men’s soccer team. Photo by Madelayne Hajek

The Stingers got their second victory of the season when they played host to the UQÁM Citadins on Sunday afternoon. After a scoreless first half, Concordia striker Andrew Bryan found the back of the net in the 73rd minute to earn his side an important three points.

After a big loss to league leaders Montréal last Sunday, Concordia was happy to welcome back Bryan and Fabian Troche to the starting lineup. Both players missed that match due to suspension.

The action started with Bryan almost putting the Stingers up by a goal two minutes in. He controlled a through ball from the midfield and set off towards the opponents’ net. A Citadins defender was able to catch up to Bryan and forced him to shoot wide.

The Citadins would see their first major chance come in the 37th minute. UQÁM played a corner kick to the near post which was met by Imad Agday’s head. The ball deflected off the crossbar and was recovered by the Stingers.

Two minutes later, Concordia answered back by hitting a post of their own. A low cross from the left side found Stinger Gabriel Quinn atop the box and his powerful blast nailed the crossbar.

To end the half, both sides had two big opportunities to open the scoring. UQÁM managed to hit another crossbar, while a Concordia two-on-one resulted in a diving save by the Citadins goalkeeper.

Early in the second half, the maroon and gold won a free kick from around 25 yards out. Bryan stepped up and curled a shot off the nearside post.

In the 55th minute, Stingers defender Stephen Meterissian missed a tap-in to give his side the lead. Two minutes later, he would miss another chance, this time from a header.

UQÁM had another decent opportunity in the 69th minute. Charles Noël took control of the ball and set off alone towards Concordia keeper Remo Taraschi. Taraschi’s charge resulted in Noël trying to chip the ball into the goal. The effort barely missed the target.

In the 73rd minute, the deadlock was finally broken. After a good combination play by the Stingers in midfield, center back Christopher Mirasyedi sent a perfect long ball to Bryan. Bryan controlled the ball with a good first-touch and blasted home a shot from inside the box.

The Stingers would manage to conserve the slender one-nil lead until the final whistle.

“We played well in the first half. We stuck to a very simple game plan and we got the result,” said Stingers Assistant Coach Francois Bastien. “It’s not too late to get a little bit of momentum going on, so I hope that carries through to the next games.”

The key to Concordia’s victory came from an organized back line and some good attacks. The team was able to keep the ball in UQÁM’s half of the field, thus eliminating the possibility of an attack on their own goal.

“My team played solid at the back,” said Remo Taraschi. “It’s like we’re playing playoff soccer right now and they’re putting their bodies on the line to make things easier for me.”

 

Concordia will close out the season this coming week with a game on Friday night when they travel to Sherbrooke to play the Vert et Or. The Stingers return home on Sunday afternoon to face the Laval Rouge et Or.

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Stingers soccer season goes from bad to worse

Photo by Marie-Josée Kelly

The Stingers men’s soccer team suffered their sixth straight loss on Sunday, losing 6-2 at the hands of the province wide second-place Montreal Carabins.

The Carabins came out strong and dominated the first half. Their advantage in speed and height was absolutely no match for Concordia’s sloppy play.

The visiting Montreal side wasted no time getting on the score sheet. In the ninth minute, midfielder Paolo Demanga out-ran a Stingers defender to play a perfect ground cross to Damir Rosic, who then managed to squeeze it past Remo Taraschi in goal.

“We gave up an early goal, which is not the script you want to begin a game,” said Assistant Coach Greg Sutton.

The Carabins showed no signs of letting up the pressure. In the 18th minute, Abdoul Bah fired a shot that just went over the bar.

Concordia struggled offensively, sending long balls that had almost no hope of finding a striker. Their best chances would come in the form of free-kicks, all taken by midfielder Joseph Couto. The only goals scored off these chances were field-goals.

The Carabins had a free kick of their own in 27th minute. Maxime Laurey showed the Stingers how it’s done by perfectly placing the ball in the bottom left corner of the net, leaving Taraschi with no chance.

Photo by Marie-Josée Kelly

The visitors kept on their relentless pressure, backing a hopeless looking Stingers defense to the goal line more than once. Just as the first half was about to end, Rosic was found alone with the Stingers keeper and effortlessly placed a shot in the right corner, putting the Carabins up 3-0 at the half.

The second half was a completely different game.

It started much like the first did. A perfect cross from a Carabins midfielder saw Vincent de Bruille completely unmarked and he smoothly tucked the ball into the right corner. It was now 4-0, and all hope was lost.

That’s when the game changed, and the Stingers found a spark.

“We had to change our game plan up, going into the second half,” said Sutton.

It took but one minute for Concordia to get a goal back. Stingers defender Enos Osei found himself with the ball after a nice passing play in midfield. He had time, picked his spot, and triggered a low shot that found the back of the net. The goal ended Montreal’s chance of keeping a clean sheet.

The goal sparked the fire even more, and with 40 minutes remaining, the Stingers took control of the game and became the dominating team. They won one-on-one battles and were first on the ball – aspects of their game that were non-existent in the first half.

“The guys were committed a little bit more and I think that we worked harder than Montreal in the second,” said Sutton. “We were able to come back and get some goals.”

The Carabins keeper, frustrated with the relentless pressure coming from the Stingers, went on to kick Stingers defender Jayson Gallahue, earning him a yellow card and giving Concordia a penalty kick in the 60th minute. Ramin Mohsenin easily put it in the back of the net, and Concordia were well on their way for an amazing comeback. At least, the fans thought so.

Head coach Lloyd Barker put on another striker to try and make the pressure stronger. A pair of chances in the 66th and 70th minutes saw Concordia’s attempts miss just wide.

As the time wound down, Carabins striker Alexandre Kénol took matters into his own hands, outrunning Stingers defenders to then tuck it in off the post on the keeper’s right side.

To make matters worse, Stingers defender Mohsenin committed a foul in the box in stoppage time, earning him his second yellow card and a sending-off. The game ended with Carabins striker blasting it in from the spot to make the final score of 6-2.

 

Concordia now sits dead last in the conference with only three games remaining. Their next game will be on Sunday, Oct. 21, against UQÀM at Concordia Stadium. 

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Stingers earn draw in a tough away match


The Stingers men’s soccer team picked up another point on Thursday when they crossed town to face the Université du Québec à Montréal Citadins. Anasse Brouk put the Stingers ahead from the penalty spot in the 32′ minute. UQÀM equalized in the 53′ minute after a slip up in Concordia’s back line.

Stingers head coach Lloyd Barker lined his side up in a 4-5-1. Anasse Brouk started up front as the lone striker. The five-man midfield consisted of Sammy Tork, Fabian Troche, Gonzalo Paredes, Gabriel Quinn and Eduardo Mazzonna. Jayson Gallahue, Ramin Mohsenin, Christopher Mirasyedi and Enos Osei made up the back line, ahead of Remo Taraschi in goal.

UQÀM was the better side at the start of the match. Taraschi was forced to make at least three big saves within the first 30 minutes. His first big stop came in the 28′ minute when UQÀM forward Rémi Veilleux found himself alone in front of goal. Taraschi deflected the shot out for a corner. On the ensuing corner, the Con U keeper came up huge when he tipped a lobbed shot over the bar.

In the 32′ minute, the Stingers transitioned quickly up the pitch. Tork made a run into the UQÀM 18-yard-box and was tripped up by a defender. The referee pointed straight for the penalty spot. Brouk stepped up and converted the kick, making up for his missed penalty two matches ago.

Two minutes before half-time, the Stingers were inches from going two-nil up. Osei rolled a ball through the UQÀM penalty area. Brouk was seconds late to the ball and missed a chance to tap in his second goal.

There was still time for an UQÀM chance. From a free kick, Concordia was fortunate as a Citadins player’s header barely missed the goal.

This was a very aggressive first half. Both sides had their fair share of fouls. Concordia found success playing down the wings. This led to the penalty kick. After the Stingers scored, they were the better side for the rest of the half.

However, UQÀM was quick to start the second half. Within the first seven minutes, Veilleux had two major chances to tie the match. Taraschi continued his solid play in the Concordia goal. He made saves on both opportunities.
One minute later in the 52′ minute, the Citadins would get their goal. UQAM defender Guillaume Rochon crossed in a ball from the left side. Every Concordia defender, including the goalkeeper, misjudged the ball. It found Sallim Dahman alone with an empty net.

The Stingers replied by bringing on Andrew Bryan and Claude Diesse. Both made an immediate impact on the match. In the 66′ minute, Diesse controlled a pass from Bryan and made an attempt to lob the UQAM keeper. The ball did not dip when it needed to.

In stoppage time, the Stingers could have been awarded another penalty kick, after a player was dragged down in the box. However, the referee kept his whistle in his pocket.

Seconds later, Diesse’s header had the Citadins goalkeeper beat, but the ball was just wide of the left post.
Both teams picked up a point in the 1-1 draw.

“I think we could have gone for the three points,” said Stingers assistant coach Francois Bastien. “But of course, we’ll take a point on the road.”

Last time both schools met, UQÀM came out on top, winning 1-0 at home. Bastien said meetings between both schools are hard to predict.

“It’s always awkward against UQÀM,” he said. “It’s a very disorganized and counter attacking game. Holes get created, players get pulled wide and pockets get created. You just never know what you’re going to get.”

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Stingers looking for a comeback

Concordia’s Men’s Soccer team will face U de M in their season opener Sept. 6

The fall semester is right around the corner. For Stingers enthusiasts, this means your favourite university sports are back and better than ever. As the regular season approaches, the Stingers Men’s Soccer team is looking to improve on last year’s results.

The Stingers kick off their season on September 6 with a tough trip to last season’s champions, Université de Montreal. Concordia lost both matches to Montreal in 2011, losing 3-1, and again 4-0 at Concordia Stadium.

Prior to the first match, Stingers Head Coach Lloyd Barker has only three weeks of pre-season to prepare his squad for the upcoming year. In accordance with league rules, teams can only return to action in mid-August.

During the three week build-up to the season, Barker hopes to play around four or five exhibitions against CEGEPs, AAA teams and other Universities. An estimated 50 hopefuls will try-out for the Maroon-and-Gold, but the final squad will only consist of 23 players.

“We’ve got a few new players coming in,” Barker said. “We’ve got the nucleus coming back and we’re not losing many, we only lost two to graduation.”

The two players leaving the squad are forward, Alfred Moody, and mid-fielder, Ali Nafii. Moody played in every single match last season and finished with three goals. Nafii made three appearances during the year.

Out of the returning players, Barker confirmed leading goal-scorer, Karim Haroun, will be returning to camp in August. Haroun led the Stingers with five goals, which was good enough to make him tied for second in the league.

In terms of additions, forward Andrew Bryan looks to be joining the Stingers. Bryan currently plays in the same Division One AAA league as Haroun, except he represents Lakeshore. Bryan is averaging nearly a goal per game so far. Barker believes Bryan will be a key addition to solve the team’s problems up front.

Last season, Concordia scored only 15 goals, tied for second last with UQAM. Only University de Sherbrooke scored fewer goals. They managed to find the net a woeful four times. To make matters worse for the Stingers, six of their 15 goals came from forfeits. A forfeited game results in an automatic three-nil win.

Defense has also been a problem for the Stingers in the past. Last season Concordia conceded a league high 29 goals. That’s an average of 2.42 goals against, every match. Barker, who spent some time playing as a defender for the Montreal Impact in the past, believes minimizing mistakes at the back will give the team a better chance of getting results.

“We have to do a better job of playing to our potential,” he explained. “This year, we expect a little bit more maturity from the returning guys and a better understanding of what we are trying to do defensively. Hopefully that will be the ingredient to staying in the game.”

Coach Barker also said that the team’s lack of success has had a notable impact on Stinger spirit. It’s his hope that a winning streak might draw people back into the seats.

“I tell my players, don’t expect fans to come until we start winning games,” Barker said. “Everybody loves sports, but the enthusiasm is a lot higher when you are winning. I would love to see games with a good amount of fans and games where support is strong. Everything starts with winning.”

Since being named Stringers Head Coach in 2007, Barker is still tweaking things and learning about his squad.

“Each year I learn something different,” he said. “As far as practices, I’ve learned to tinker the times so we could get a good attendance. I’m still developing the art of adapting to exam schedule.”

To summarize what went wrong in 2011, Barker says the team was inconsistent in front of goal. Last minute goals crushed the Stingers last year and being able to stay focused the entire 90 minutes will be key for the team.

Making the playoffs is a reasonable objective for the Stingers. Despite struggles in 2011, Concordia only missed the playoffs by seven points. They finished with three wins, eight losses and one draw. In a league with seven teams, the top four in the standings move on to the playoffs in November.

Following the first match against Université de Montreal on September 6, the Stingers will return to Concordia for its home opener on September 9 against Université de Trois-Rivieres.

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