MONTREAL – Chloe Renaud scored the game-winner in the 78th minute and goaltender Sophie Guilmette posted a shutout as McGill blanked Montreal 1-0 to open the RSEQ regular season in women's soccer, Thursday, before a boisterous crowd of 811 at Percival Molson Stadium.
 
The result helped salve the lingering sting of McGill's 2-1 semifinal loss to the Carabins last fall after the teams had split their two-game regular season series with a pair of 1-0 decisions.
 
Renaud, a two-time conference all-star midfielder from St. Hubert, Que., pounced on a rebound fired by teammate Arianne Lavoie and buried the ball past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Andreanne Dubeau, who was left lying prone on the goal line. It capped a remarkable 10-pass sequence, initiated from a throw-in near the McGill 40-yard line, that involved nine different Martlets players, including five McGillians spread across the box on the winning tally.
 
"Chloe has been a very consistent player over her career with us," said Jose-Luis Valdes, in his 12th year (11th season) as head coach at McGill. "She has a certain flair about her, she's a good dribbler and is able to destabilize the opposition. She has the ability to take a player into a one-on-one situation and manage to come away with the ball. That helps breakdown defensive structures and allows us to create more scoring chances."
 
McGill had a 6-2 edge in shots on net in a game that featured 24 fouls (14 by Montreal) and one yellow card issued to Carabins defender Katya Houpert in the 65th minute. The visitors also held a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks.
 
"Both teams were cautious, trying not to be overly exposed, as each has dangerous players in the lineup," noted Valdes. "But we attacked when moments were right and didn't hold back. We had five players near the net on the winning goal, so we were ready to attack when the opportunity presented itself.
 
"Montreal was very organized defensively and we had a difficult time managing possession early on and moving forward up the field. Bit we were composed, weren't playing into pressure too much and we didn't really get exposed on their counter-attacks. That was a sign of maturity on our side. After halftime, we made a couple of adjustments here and there and that plan worked well."
 
Both teams have a couple of days to recover before resuming play on Sunday, Sept 1. Montreal (0-1) will host Sherbrooke in a 3:30 p.m. start, while McGill (1-0) will host UQAM at 5 p.m.
 
MARTLETS MURMURS: Two McGill rookies saw duty in their first-ever league game. Montrealer Vanessa Kumar, a product of Vanier College, was in the starting lineup at forward. Also, Estella Irvine, a striker from Toronto, subbed in during the second half and made a key pass on the winning goal… The McGill team roster features five freshmen, eight sophomores, six juniors and five seniors… The geographical breakdown includes 23 players from Quebec, four from Ontario, five from BC, one from Alberta and one American from Seattle, Wash.
 
BOXSCORE
 
2024 MARTLETS TEAM ROSTER
 
RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS

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