MONTREAL -- McGill fired the opening salvo but the defending national champion Montreal Carabins countered with four consecutive markers en route to a 4-1 victory in men's university soccer before a crowd of 408 at Percival Molson Stadium, Thursday.
It extended McGill's winless streak against the Carabins to 0-10-2 since a 2-1 victory on Sept. 21, 2014.
The Carabins, who improved to 5-0 on the season, held a 16-8 edge in shots toward the net, including a 10-3 margin on target. McGill had a 5-0 advantage in corners but were unable to convert on any of those chances.
Forward
Dalin Saheb, a software engineering junior from Montreal, opened the scoring for McGill in the 10th minute, converting a pass from veteran striker
Mehdi Ibn-Brahim.
But the home side seemed to unravel after the Carabins netted the equalizer on a free kick from 20 yards out by
Pierre Lamothe, whose high, arcing shot sailed over McGill's four-man wall and curled into the top left corner of the net, beyond the outstretched gloves of 'keeper
Chris Cinelli-Faia.
The Carabins added a late first-half marker by
Hugo Chambon in the final seconds and one could feel the contest slipping away for McGill.
Montreal added two more in the second stanza, with
Rida Aboulhamid connecting in the 54th minute, followed by
Lohan Lefevre in the 61st.
Felix Goulet, the Carabins 'keeper made two saves for the win, while Cinelli-Faia finished with six saves in a losing cause.
It was a physical game that featured 21 fouls (11 to the Carabins) and a pair of yellow cards, issued to the McGill brother act of
Sebastian Cobuzzi and
Juliano Cobuzzi. It is believed to be the first time in McGill soccer history that siblings were both carded in the same game.
McGill, which dropped to 1-3-1 in the league standings, will host last-place Sherbrooke (0-4-0) on Sunday (Sept. 22) evening at Molson Stadium. The contest was initially planned to precede the women's game and had been scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff. But that has been changed to a 6 p.m. start to accommodate the Montreal Marathon, which runs on Sunday morning. The division-leading Carabins (5-0-0) will host Concordia (1-1-2) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
BOXSCORE
2019 RSEQ MEN'S SOCCER STANDINGS
