News

Underdog Martlets stun Spartans in shootout, to set up an all-Quebec semifinal

Published: 10 November 2011

(McGill 'keeper Victoria Muccilli makes one of her eight saves in upset win over TWU. Photo by Andrew Dobrowolskyj)

MONTREAL (CIS) - The McGill Martlets stunned heavily-favoured Trinity Western University 4-1 on penalty kicks to prevail 1-0 in a CIS women's soccer quarterfinal, Thursday, at the national championship tournament on Molson Stadium.

Official championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wsoc/index

Martlets 'keeper Victoria Muccilli, a 5-foot-9 history sophomore from Mississauga, Ont., made eight saves and added two more in the shootout to preserve the victory which sets the stage for an all-Quebec semifinal between McGill and the Montreal Carabins on

Saturday at 4:30 p.m. That contest between the bitter cross-town rivals will be preceded by an all-Ontario matchup between Ottawa and Queen's in the other semi at 1:30 p.m.

The result snapped an eight-game win streak at the Nationals (seven of them via shutout) for the Spartans, who joined the CIS in 2001 and have won three national titles. They entered this year's tourney with a 10-1-1 all-time record in their four previous appearances.

Julia Bahen of Vancouver, B.C., Kelsey Wilson of Pincourt, Que., Laura Bland-Lasso of Ottawa, Ont., and Selena Colarossi of Burlington, Ont., all scored for McGill in the shootout.

"The girls were absolutely great, they followed the game plan,' said McGill head coach Marc Mounicot. "We've been working on PKs for three weeks and I know that they were confident about that, even if they were going up against probably the best PK-stopping goalie in the country over the last few years. We beat them and the girls deserved the victory because they worked like lions today."

TWU goalkeeper Kristen Funk, a senior from Calgary who had won six straight games at Nationals, injured her back on McGill's third shootout goal. She gamely hung in for the last shot but was removed from the field on a stretcher, as a precautionary measure, amid the hoopla of McGill's unexpected victory.

The Spartans' lone goal on kicks by was scored by Jillian Dietrich of Calgary. Natalie Boyd and Colleen Webber were both robbed by Muccilli, who dove right to save the first one and then made a sliding feet-first save to her right for the latter save.

"I knew that I'd made a save going right, so the chances were pretty high that she was going to shoot the other way," said Muccilli. "Marc (Mounicot) gave me a signal and I went left. It was amazing, especially since we were the underdogs going in. To know that we came out with a victory was a real team effort."

TWU's Daniela Gerig of Fort Langley, B.C., and McGill's Alexandra Morin-Boucher of St. Gabriel de Brandon, Que., were selected players of the game.

The loss was the Spartans first loss since September 10, 1-0 to UBC, and also ended TWU's winning streak at 15 matches.

"It was tough circumstances for us to play tonight. I give credit to McGill they defended us very well and made it tough for us to find space," said TWU head coach Graham Roxburgh. "They worked really hard and sometimes soccer is that way, we just have to pick-up the pieces and get ready and show why we are a good team. We had one or two chances that could have put us up 1-0 and their keeper's save on Alexi Foster's header was probably the difference maker in the match."

SCORING SUMMARY

TRINITY WESTERN: 0-0-0-0-0: 0

MCGILL: 0-0-0-0-1: 1

First half

(no scoring)

Second half

(no scoring)

First Overtime

(no scoring)

Second Overtime

(no scoring)

Penalty Kicks

MCG - 15 Julia Bahen GOAL

TWU - 04 Jillian Dietrich GOAL

MCG - 19 Kelsey Wilson GOAL

TWU - 09 Natalie Boyd SAVED by Victoria Muccilli

MCG - 12 Laura Bland-Lasso GOAL

TWU - 08 Colleen Webber SAVED by Victoria Muccilli

MCG - 13 Selena Colarossi GOAL

Goalkeepers:

TWU : Kristen Funk (L, 0GA, 5 saves, 120:00 min, SHO)

MCG : Victoria Muccilli (W, 0 GA, 8 saves, 120:00 min, SHO)

Shots: TWU 13, MCG 11

Shots on net: TWU 8, MCG 5

Corners: TWU 3, MCG 6

Offsides: TWU 4, MCG 1

Fouls: TWU 16, MCG 19

Yellow cards: TWU 1 (Natalie Boyd, 46th), MCG 1 (Kelsey Wilson, 77th)

Red cards: none

Players of the game:

TWU : Daniela Gerig

MCG : Alexandra Morin-Boucher

SCHEDULE & RESULTS

Official championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wsoc/index

Thursday, Nov. 10
10:30 Quarter-final 1: Ottawa 3, Dalhousie 2
13:30 Quarter-final 2: Queen's 2, Alberta 1

16:30 Quarter-final 3: Montreal vs. Laurier (SSN Canada webcast)
19:30 Quarter-final 4: Trinity Western vs. McGill (SSN Canada webcast)

Friday, Nov. 11
16:30 Consolation 1: Dalhousie vs. Alberta (SSN Canada webcast)
19:30 Consolation 2: Loser QF 3 vs. Loser QF 4 (SSN Canada webcast)

Saturday, Nov. 12
13:30 Semifinal 1: Queen's vs. Ottawa (SSN Canada webcast)
16:30 Semifinal 2: Montreal vs. McGill (SSN Canada webcast)
19:30 Fifth-place game (SSN Canada webcast)

Sunday, Nov. 13
13:30 Bronze medal (SSN Canada webcast)
16:00 Championship final (SSN Canada webcast)