Rowdy was an appropriate word to describe the Laker faithful that made the uncomfortable bus trip to St. Michael’s College School on Saturday afternoon to watch their team in action. U of T fans at the game were only slightly less boisterous on this ideal, sunny October day.
Nipissing and U of T met to compete in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s soccer quarterfinal match on the pristine St. Mike’s field. Over 100 fans took in the match and were treated to an energetic game.
The Blues were the heavy favourite going into Saturday’s action. They finished in first place in the OUA north division and defeated Nipissing every time they played in the regular season. In fact, U of T had not surrenedered a goal to the Lakers all season, registering 2-0 and 5-0 shutouts.
Nipissing, in contrast, finished third in the OUA north with a 3-5-2 record. Head coach Tony Bitonti was hoping his squad could pull off another miracle upset like they had against Guelph in their first playoff game, which was Nipissing’s first ever soccer playoff victory.
In the first half it looked as if the Lakers’ luck had finally run out, as U of T got the only markers in the first 45 minutes. Evan Milward and Sean Myers were responsible for giving the Blues a 2-0 half-time advantage.
Bitonti rallied his troops during the break and his team came out strong in the second half. Cameron Culbert was able to convert one chance into a goal, but Blues keeper Luciano Lombardi shut the door after that.
The Blues held on to win the game 2-1 and received a scare from an upstart Nipissing team that floundered against U of T in the regular season. The home side was hoping for a similar result as the previous two meetings of these squads, which didn’t happen.
Both Blues and Lakers’ fans stayed to cheer their respective teams as the match ended, with Laker fans once again being the louder bunch. A portion of the screams were directed at the game officials as they came off the field.
One spectator had these choice words for the zebras: “Nice game, refs. Good to see U of T had you in their back pocket.”
These remarks were partly in response to the red card that was given to third-year Nipissing defender Derek Chamberlain during the game, leaving the Lakers short a man for the rest of the match. The only card the Blues received during the contest was yellow, and it went to fourth-year forward-and Blues goal-scorer-Sean Myers.
The Blues now move on to the OUA semifinal match on Saturday, November 5 against Western. Western was undefeated this season, sporting a nifty 7-0-2 record, and are the second-ranked soccer team in the nation. The good news for the fifth-ranked Blues is that they get to host the game.
The Lakers and their fans, meanwhile, are now faced with a daunting bus ride back to North Bay, made worse by the fact that some of them thought officiating cost them the match. What would playoffs be without a little controversy?
