MONTREAL – Rookie defender
Matisse Chretien of Quebec City, scored his first career goal as the McGill men's soccer team battled Laval to a 1-1 tie to kickoff Homecoming festivities, Friday, at Percival Molson Stadium.
With two ties in as many meetings against Laval this season, it marked the first time that McGill went undefeated against their provincial rivals since posting two wins in 2008.
However, a win was really needed to keep the Redbirds playoff hopes realistic. A victory would have put McGill one point behind fourth-place Laval with two games left. Instead, the Redbirds (2-5-3) now sit sixth in the seven-team RSEQ conference four points behind Laval (3-3-4).
Chretien tallied in the 40th minute to give the Redbirds a 1-0 lead at halftime but defender
Marc N'Guessan evened the score for Laval in the 55th minute.
McGill had a 12-9 margin in attempted shots, with an 8-4 edge on target. But the Redbirds were stopped on numerous chances by Laval goalkeeper
Horace Patient Sobze-Zemo, who was credited with seven saves.
McGill 'keeper
Chris Cinelli-Faia, made two saves in what was his third straight start in the wake of an injury to
Ludovyck Ciociola.
McGill will head across town on Sunday (Oct. 15 at 1 p.m.) to play second-place UQAM (7-2-1) in a must-win affair at Stade Saputo. The Redbirds will conclude regular season play on Oct. 22 when winless Sherbrooke (0-8-2) visits Molson Stadium.
REDBIRDS RAP: The Homecoming game was played in front of a good turnout of soccer alumni, including many from McGill's national championship teams of 1981, 1982 and 1997. A mixed alumni game, between the men's and women's teams, is scheduled for Saturday morning at Molson Stadium... The group included Justin
Student, Sean
Shepherd, Dickens
St-Vil, Guy-Marie
Joseph, Maxence
Leblond, Graham
Butcher, Jasper
Lam, Andrew
Eisenstark, Marc
Labrom, Peter
Bryant, Jean-Marc
Yao, David
Simon, Pierre
Nguyen, Tony
Iachetta, Gino
Lalli, Jake
Generaich, Kevin
McConnell, Gaetano
Zullo and Rehan
Ali.
The Redbirds were dressed in new uniforms for the first time at home this season. The new addidas tops have thick vertical white stripes, similar to the team uniforms in the 1990s, on a bright red backgrond. The jersey numbers are in black. The material features lightweight fabric designed to absorb moisture. It has an Interlock, hydrophilic finish known as "aeroready", made in part with recycled materials.
BOXSCORE
RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL:
514-983-7012
E-MAIL:
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
