The Varsity Blues men’s soccer team brushed aside the Laurentian Voyageurs today at Varsity Stadium to win the game 3-1.
The Blues controlled much of the game, and could easily have had more goals than the three they scored.
The Blues took a cautious line in their early attacking play. Top-scorer Nordo Gooden and captain for the game Alexander Raphael created several chances for a goal, including a hopeful overhead kick from the former that sailed over the crossbar.
Raphael opened the scoring in the 18th minute of play when he was rewarded a penalty after a Voyageur handball.
The Voyageurs responded and played frequent speculative punts up to midfielder Derek Lubertino.
Gooden came close to scoring the Blues a second goal when he headed against the post from close range. He was in action again moments later, forcing an athletic save from keeper Szczepaniak.
In the 34th minute Gooden managed to kick the ball through a scramble in the Laurentian box giving the Blues a 2-0 lead.
The Voyageurs were further inconvenienced by the yellow card shown to Lubertino, and by the fact that striker Davor Alisic had been similarly booked only moments before.
The Blues headed into the half-time break with a commanding lead, a familiar score-line since their first match against Laurentian at the beginning of September had ended in a victory by the same margin.
But the Voyageurs weren’t ready to surrender, and managed to cut the deficit in half when defender Daniel O’ Connor scored off of James Bond’s free kick.
Gooden and Raphael didn’t miss a beat and continued to cause problems for Voyageurs defence as the Blues defensive line was playing very high to encourage attacking play.
Mid-fielder Darragh McGhee was on the ball fending off the Voyageurs attacks and even having a crack at goal.
Despite the Blues effort, Laurentian mid-fielder Trevor Beange made a couple of crucial clearances to deny them a third goal.
However, the Blues did score again. It came against ten men after Voyageurs defender Roger Teves was presented with a red card.
Arguably, rookie Ezequiel Lubocki’s 77th minute goal – the first of his university career – owed more to quick thinking than numerical superiority, as he shot through the confusion in the box.
Coach Anthony Capotosto replaced both Gooden and Raphael in the closing minutes, presumably to save them for the game against the Nipissing Lakers the following day.
Going into the game the men’s team was ranked third in the OUA East Division and will be looking to move up in the standings after the weekend with this win under their belt.
