Gaels fall in shootout

Men’s soccer can’t score with extra man against Laurentian

Goalkeeper Dylan Maxwell holds his head after the Gaels' shootout loss to the Laurentian Voyageurs in an OUA playoff game on Wednesday.
Image by: Corey Lablans
Goalkeeper Dylan Maxwell holds his head after the Gaels' shootout loss to the Laurentian Voyageurs in an OUA playoff game on Wednesday.

The men’s soccer team ended their season with a shootout loss to the Laurentian Voyageurs in the first round of the OUA playoffs on Wednesday.

The Gaels tied both regular season games against the Voyageurs. Wednesday’s game was tied 1-1 after 90 minutes, but the playoff needed a winner.

After playing 30 scoreless minutes of overtime, the Voyageurs prevailed 5-4 in the shootout.

In the shootout, every penalty kick was converted until the Voyageurs missed their fourth shot. With the Gaels up 4-3, fifth-year captain Jordan Brooks missed the game-winning kick — the Voyageurs converted their last attempt to tie it 4-4.

In the sudden-death round, Gaels striker Eric Koskins’ hit the goal post and bounced wide. The Voyageurs scored on the next shot to oust the Gaels and advance to the quarter-final.

In regulation play, Voyageurs striker Davor Alisic opened the scoring midway through the second half. Two minutes later, Voyageurs defender Patrick Smoke was given his second yellow card of the game for a handball and Laurentian was reduced to 10 men. Rookie striker Peter Christidis scored the ensuing penalty kick to tie the game.

The Gaels played the rest of regulation and the entire overtime with 11 players against Laurentian’s 10, but they couldn’t score. Goalkeeper Dylan Maxwell said Queen’s should have taken advantage of their extra man.

“We had 40 minutes of play with them down a man,” he said. “You’ve got to put them away especially in extra time.”

Maxwell said the Gaels didn’t follow their game plan.

“We needed quicker play, more one-touch and two-touch passing,” he said. “Guys were just holding onto the ball for way too long.” In their final regular season game against Laurentian, the Gaels blew a two-goal lead late in the game. Maxwell said a lack of focus also led to the Voyageurs’ only goal on Wednesday.

“We can’t die for a few minutes at a time during a game,” he said. “It’s happened to us all season.”

The Gaels haven’t advanced to the OUA semifinal since 2007. But head coach Chris Gencarelli said the team has a bright future.

“We’re a young team and we have a lot of good young players,” he said. “We’re going to look to bring more quality players.”

— With files from Dylan Haber

Tags

Dylan Maxwell, Jordan Brooks, Men’s Soccer, Peter Christidis

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