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McMaster University Athletics

HOME OF THE MCMASTER MARAUDERS
MSOC - Monteiro
Rick Zazulak
3
Western WESTERN (0-1-1, 1-0-1)
3
McMaster MCMASTER (1-0-1, 1-0-1)
Western WESTERN
(0-1-1, 1-0-1)
3
Final
3
McMaster MCMASTER
(1-0-1, 1-0-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT-2 OT 1 F
Western WESTERN 0 2 0 1 3
McMaster MCMASTER 2 0 1 0 3

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Fraser Caldwell, Sport Information Officer

Men's Soccer: Mac Wins Wild First Rounder in Shootout to Earn OUA Quarterfinal Berth

Matt Monteiro netted the winning penalty as the Marauders eliminated the Mustangs at Ron Joyce Stadium

The first step in McMaster's playoff journey packed drama and substance in equal measure, and ended with the signature moment of its season to date as Matt Monteiro reeled away from Western's fallen goalkeeper with his finger held aloft.

Building a 2-0 lead at halftime, the Marauders squandered it inside the first six minutes of the second and were forced to battle their way to a penalty shootout, where Monteiro's final spot kick put the finishing touch on a 3-3 (4-2 pens) win for Mac and earned his team a berth in the OUA quarterfinals.

The win books Mac a trip to North York, where the Marauders will meet their long-time rival York Lions, who concluded the OUA regular season as the West Division's top seed. The matinee is set for 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 27 and will be webcast live on OUA.tv.

Yordan Stoyanov, Antonio Sereno and Joseph Guindy also slotted home from the penalty spot for the hosts Wednesday, while goalkeeper Tristan Joyce produced a pivotal save against fellow keeper Kody Thompson to level the shootout after Dusan Kovacevic was denied.

Penalties were called into action when 120 eventful minutes failed to separate the two sides, and brought a conclusion to open play after six goals and 10 cards between the Marauders and Mustangs, who were reduced to 10 men after matching red cards to Nic Matsos and John Hodge in the 84th minute.

Hinting at the suspense to come, Stoyanov opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 28th minute, with Kovacevic latching onto a ball inside the box and lashing home in first half stoppage time to confirm a dream 45 minutes for the Marauders, who headed into the locker room at 2-0.

Elation turned to shock and horror for the hosts in the early minutes of the second 45, as the Mustangs emerged from the tunnel with desperation and energy, and halved their deficit with a frenzied goal from Connor Wilson in the 49th before Jeremy Arnold erased it entirely by calmly cutting inside the Marauders back line along the 18-yard box and smashing low past Mac keeper Tristan Joyce in the 52nd.

Aggression replaced offence shortly after that strike, as tensions between the two teams rose to a crescendo and produced a dizzying total of eight cards in the half's final 38 minutes.

The most impactful of those saw Matsos and Hodge each dismissed when a set piece gave way to a shoving match six minutes from the end of regulation, and left the two sides to contest extra time with 10 men apiece.

It was the home side that began brightly once again as the bonus period got underway, with Justin Wood putting the Marauders ahead after the midfield work of Terence Bernard cut him out with a through ball and the winger outpaced his marker, rounded the keeper and calmly rolled into the yawning net for 3-2 in the 93rd minute.

Victory was nearly within McMaster's grasp when Western carved out a cruel equalizer from a set piece in the 119th minute, with Luca Trivisonno's looping free kick finding the head of Pau Valiente, who nodded past Joyce and into the far side netting for 3-3.

That set the table for the dramatic moments of the shootout, where Joyce spared Kovacevic's blushes and Western's Christian Devia hammered the next Mustang spot kick off the post to give Monteiro his star turn.
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