With the game on the line, no time left on the clock and the Carleton Ravens’ national championship dreams in flux, Tareq Hamad stepped up to the penalty spot.
The moment silenced Ravens Perch, but when Hamad’s kick soared into the top left corner, the crowd exploded. Carleton was moving on to the semifinals of the U Sports men’s soccer national championship after a heart-racing comeback win on penalty kicks against the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds.
Thursday night’s quarterfinal was a game of two halves. UBC started the game in an excellent fashion, taking a two-goal lead within the first 30 minutes. Carleton looked timid, with the nerves of playing in such a crucial game at such a high level appearing to get to the team.
They conceded a goal in the 14th minute by UBC striker Nick Fussell, who received a fantastic long ball behind the Ravens backline and chipped it past Carleton goalkeeper Kyle Potter. The Thunderbirds struck again in the 23rd minute on a shot from UBC’s Nicholas Momotani that flew over the head of Potter.
It left Ravens Perch stunned.
UBC head coach Mike Mosher said his team’s game plan was to make life difficult for Carleton and try to disrupt the Ravens’ rhythm.
“For a portion of the first half we did that,” Mosher said. “We retained the ball much better in the first half than we did in the second half.”
The tide turned in the second half. Carleton controlled, dictated and attacked, a complete switch from the first half.
Dario Conte played well the entire match. On many occasions, he dropped into midfield looking to switch the play to either start a counter-attack or create holes within the UBC midfield. His passing ability proved vital for Carleton’s second half domination.
Carleton started the second half by moving men forward and looking to attack in hopes of finding the goal.
As the minutes ticked by, the Ravens grew closer to their equalizer. Scott Mazzotta had an excellent chance when he dribbled through the UBC midfield and continued to skip past the UBC backline, almost scoring what would have been the goal of the tournament.
The difference maker came in the 60th minute. Ravens striker Gabriel Bitar pulled Carleton back into the match with a goal, followed by a 67th-minute corner from Mazzotta that found the head of Hamad, ending up at the back of UBC’s net.
The game was tied 2-2.
“Mike Tyson said everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face, and we got punched in the face,” Ravens head coach Kwesi Loney said. “We stress a lot about us fighting, believing in each other, and that’s what got us through.”
Carleton’s comeback had the bleachers at Ravens Perch shaking. Security confiscated a flare. Fans threw receipt rolls onto the field. The beat of an alumni section drum rang loud.
“It was claustrophobic,” UBC team captain Daniel Kaiser said of the atmosphere. “A lot of guys enjoy playing in front of crowds … and Carleton has great fans, I’ll give it to them.”
Unable to break the deadlock, the game moved into overtime. The Ravens didn’t ease up on their high energy, but it came at the price of leg cramps, injuries and soreness. Both coaches made substitutions throughout extra time that balanced out the game for UBC, sending the game to a penalty shootout.
Carleton converted all five of their penalties with style. UBC would’ve had the same perfect record were it not for Potter, who made a leaping save against the Thunderbirds’ Mihai Hodut.
After Hamad’s final penalty kick, fans stormed the field. The Ravens celebrated.
HEADING TO THE @USPORTS_Soccer SEMI-FINALS 🏆
The Ravens defeat UBC 3-2 in a penalty shootout 🔥 #ChaseTheGlory pic.twitter.com/tKCOiS0iwP
— Carleton Ravens (@CURavens) November 19, 2021
With the win, Carleton is guaranteed to finish at least fourth in the nation, the same spot they earned in 2019. They’ll face the Cape Breton Capers, giants of Atlantic University Sports (AUS), in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Carleton has never won a national championship in soccer. Now, the Ravens are two wins away.
For the Thunderbirds, the loss means the end of their championship hopes. The best they can do is a fifth-place finish, which they’ll fight for in a consolation semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
After the game, Mosher’s emotions were still raw.
“We just lost a national quarterfinal in penalties and we were in the fight,” Mosher said. “Damn right it hurts right now.”
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
