MONTREAL – In a game for the ages, McGill overcame an ejection, an early deficit and the loss of a starting goalkeeper to rally for a 3-2 victory over Concordia in a men's soccer thriller at Percival Molson Stadium, Sunday.
 
It was the first time since the 1997 national championship game that McGill overcame an early red card and rallied to win. The contest had everything but the kitchen sink. Played in sweltering 28C conditions on an even hotter artificial field surface, it featured 14 penalty cards (including one red), 21 fouls, 13 attempted shots, five goals and 13 corner kicks.

Concordia's Jared Leheta opened the scoring in the 13th minute of play, one-timing a pass from 18 yards out. Moments later, McGill lost starting midfielder Emilio Rossi-Levin, a sophomore from France, who was ejected in the 18th minute after being assessed a pair of yellow cards. His second yellow was for bumping against a Concordia who had elbowed him. The infraction was called after the assistant referee on the far sideline called over the head referee to discuss the incident.

Despite playing with only 10 men for the remainder of the game, it was McGill that took control with three consecutive goals.

Freshman striker Mathis Cyr of Riviere du Loup, Que., scored the equalizer in the 44th minute. His shot, from the top of the box, deflected off a defender into the far right corner.

After the halftime intermission, native Algerian Nassim Kemel, a first-year transfer from the Montreal Carabins, connected on a free kick from 28 yards out in the 53rd minute. It was a heavy, "bend-it-like-Beckham" strike that curved into the top left corner and proved to be the game-winning tally.

Reserve forward Yoan Simard, a freshman from Longueuil, Que., added an insurance marker in the 75th minute, converting a pass from Nathan Yee with a nifty chip shot from 15 yards that eluded David Desbarats, the charging Stingers goalkeeper.

The three McGill goals was the most by the Redbirds in regular season play in 18 games, dating back to a 4-4 tie with UQTR on Oct. 17, 2021.

Concordia tallied again in the 87th minute when John Cevik fired a long shot that bounced off the head of a McGill defender for an own goal past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Chris Cinelli-Faia, who played the final 18 minutes and made one save on two shots faced. He was pressed into duty when starter Ludovich Ciociola suffered an apparent facial laceration during a goalmouth collision, while diving to stop a partial breakaway. Ciociola saved one of two shots faced in the game and was was credited the victory as the winning goal was scored on his watch.

At the opposite end of the field, Desbarats was beaten three times on six shots and took the loss. He received a yellow card in the 86th minute, one of four Stingers to be cautioned by the referee.

Next weekend, McGill (1-1-0) will make the short jaunt around Mt. Royal in a first-place showdown with the division-leading Montreal Carabins. The game is slated for an 8:15 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 8 on the new artificial surface at Stade CEPSUM. At the same time, Concordia (0-1-1) will play host to UQTR (1-1-0).

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SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012
WEBSITE:www.mcgillathletics.ca
E-MAIL:earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca