SEMIFINAL #2: 2009 CIS men’s soccer championship: McGill win sets up historic all-Quebec final

LANGLEY, B.C. (CIS) – McGill outscored tournament host Trinity Western University 5-4 on penalty kicks for a 2-1 semifinal victory at the CIS men’s soccer championship tournament in Langley, B.C., on Friday the 13th.

Defender Louis Fouquet, a second-year law student from Sherbrooke, Que., scored what proved to be the game-winner just before Spartans forward Ioannis Tsoulouhas missed high over the crossbar.

McGill advances to Sunday’s national final (3:30 p.m. Pacific) where they’ll face the Laval Rouge et Or, who blanked Toronto 3-0 in an earlier semi. Sunday’s match-up will mark the first-ever meeting between the bitter Quebec rivals at the Nationals and the first CIS final in history, in any sport, featuring two teams from Quebec.

“I don’t know what to call it, but it’s definitely emotional,” said first-year McGill head coach David Simon. “My players are heroes. To go to the 20th penalty kick yesterday and now to play a man down (during) the entire overtime tonight… they’re heroes.”

Trinity Western opened the scoring in the 28th minute, after intense pressure where McGill defenders had cleared and headed two balls off the goal-line, which resulted in corner kicks. The Spartans’ Jason Wiens of Coaldale, Alta., hit a hard shot from middle of the penalty area that McGill goalkeeper Jean-Lou Gosselin of Longueuil, Que., blocked with two open hands. TWU’s Rhys Volkenant of Surrey, B.C., jumped on the rebound and hammered it into the right side of the net.

The Redmen rallied in the 65th minute when veteran striker Gareth Pugh of Ottawa headed in a direct kick from Sami Obaid, a third-year medical student from Laval, Que.

“Sami crossed it from the top-right side of the (18-yard) box and it curled into me nicely,” said Pugh, a fifth-year history major. “We’ve practiced that set play many times. There’s good chemistry between us and we just clicked.”

McGill prevailed despite losing forward Michael Stein, who was ejected late in the second half after being assessed a second yellow card from an accidental collision with Spartans ‘keeper Andrew Fink of Burnaby, B.C.

Stein was the hero of Thursday’s 1-0 quarter-final win over McMaster. He netted the final goal in a wild 10-9 decision on penalty-kicks.

Fink stayed in the game for a few minutes but pulled himself at the end of regulation time and was replaced by Andrew Kowan, a sophomore from Richmond, B.C.

The teams went to penalty kicks after two scoreless 15-minute overtime periods, both of which were dominated by a poised Redmen squad, despite being one man down.

“Penalty kicks are cruel,” said Simon, a former McGill player who interrupted his law practice to serve as interim head coach this year. “But I thought it terms of play, we held our own, we even dominated for parts of the game. Despite being down one goal early, I knew we’d eventually get our chances to score. I told the guys to keep believing, to keep fighting and good things would happen.”

McGill becomes the first team to win two games on penalty kicks in the CIS championship tourney. The Redmen had connected on all 15 penalty-kicks over their two games.

McGill and Laval have Saturday off before meeting in Sunday’s finale for the Sam Davidson memorial trophy. The teams tied 2-2 in their first meeting at Molson Stadium on Oct. 2 but Laval won the rematch 3-1 two days later in Quebec City and captured the Quebec championship with a 3-0 decision on Nov. 8.

“It’s great to see two Quebec teams in the final. Laval is a very good team, they’re well coached. It will be an outstanding final,” added Simon.

Both the national final and the bronze-medal game between Trinity Western and Toronto (Sunday, 1 p.m. PT) will be webcast live by SSN Canada (www.ssncanada.ca or www.cis-sic.ca).

SCORING SUMMARY

McG: 0-1-0-0:2 (5-4 Penalty kicks)
TWU: 1-0-0-0:1

First half
1. TWU, Rhys Volkenant (1) (Jason Wiens), 28th

Second half
2. McGill, Gareth Pugh (1) (Sami Obaid), 65th

Overtime (2 x 15 minutes)
No scoring

Penalty kicks
McGill, Sami Obaid, goal
TWU, Shawn Parkes, goal
McGill, Graeme Tingey, goal
TWU, Jake Jorgensen, goal
McGill, Peter Valente, goal
TWU, Paul Hamilton, goal
McGill, Tom Lucas, goal
TWU, Rhys Volkenant, goal
McGill, Louis Fouquet, goal
TWU, Ioannis Tsoulouhas, missed

Goalkeeperss:
McG: Jean-Lou Gosselin (W, 1 GA, 7 saves, 120:00 mins)
TWU: Andrew Fink (L, 1 GA, 2 saves, 90:00 mins), Andrew Kowan (0 GA, 0 saves, 30 min.)

Shots: McGill 10, TWU 16
Shots on goal: McGill 3, TWU 9
Corners: McGill 7, TWU 6
Offsides: McGill 0, TWU 0
Fouls: McGill 16, TWU 19
Yellow Cards: McGill (4) (Alex Damianou 37th, Axel Dovi 45th, Michael Stein 82nd, Michael Stein, 90th) TWU (3) (Rhys Volkenant 16th, Paul Hamilton 60th, Shawn Parkes 88th)
Red Cards: McGill (1) Michael Stein, 90th)

Players of the game:
McG: Graeme Tingey
TWU: Jordan Whitehead

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PACIFIC TIME)

Thursday, Nov. 12
Quarter-final 1: Laval 3, UPEI 1
Quarter-final 2: Toronto 2, Victoria 1
Quarter-final 3: McGill 1, McMaster 0 (10-9 PK)
Quarter-final 4: Trinity Western 2, Cape Breton 0

Friday, Nov. 13
Consolation 1: Victoria 6, UPEI 2
Consolation 2: Cape Breton 4, McMaster 1
Semifinal 1: Laval 3, Toronto 0
Semifinal 2: McGill 2, Trinity Western 1 (5-4 PK)

Saturday, Nov. 14
13:00 Consolation final (5th-place match): Victoria vs. Cape Breton

Sunday, Nov. 15
13:00 Bronze medal: Toronto vs. Trinity Western (SSN Canada webcast)
15:30 Championship final: Laval vs. McGill (SSN Canada webcast)

- CIS -