RESILIENT SHERIDAN MEN'S SOCCER TEAM WINS NATIONAL TITLE

OAKVILLE, Ont. - On more than one occasion it looked as though the Sheridan Bruins men's soccer team (11-2-1) had a firm grip on the championship trophy, only to see a gritty VIU squad battle back with equalizers in second half stoppage time and the dying moments of extra time.

But ultimately they would prevail, winning a penalty shootout 6-5 and the game 5-4, to claim the first national championship in program history.

"I can't even explain what I feel right now," Sheridan head coach Andrew Seuradge said. "This is something that's been in the works for a while now. We've been trying to build this program to a place where we could get over the top. From the beginning of this tournament, we knew it was going to be tough but the boys kept digging and digging and digging. When you ask your players to play hard for you and they do, what more could you ask for?"

It was a less than auspicious start for the Double-Blue, as a foul inside the area in the seventh minute gave VIU the chance to stake themselves to an early 1-0 lead, after Victor Blasco converted from the penalty spot.

Sheridan would maintain their composure and eventually drew level in the 33rd minute, thanks to Chris Divizio-Mendes.

Raheem Edwards won a ball near the VIU corner flag, snuck through a pair of defenders and slid a low cross towards the penalty spot, where Divizio-Mendes was for the one-touch finish.

In the 41st minute VIU would pull in front again, as Jordan Degraff was able sneak a free kick from 25 yards away through some traffic and into the lower portion of the net.

The newfound lead would be short-lived though, as a minute later the Bruins were able to set up their own set piece, 30-yards from goal.

David Velastegui hit a left-footed out-swing to the top of the six-yard box where Edwards rose up and flicked it backwards for the equalizer.

Sheridan would take their first lead of the game in the 73rd minute when Edwards received the ball on the right wing from Velastegui, turned his defender and sprinted past another one before playing another low cross past the out-stretched arms of VIU's keeper where Khody Ellis buried it.

It took until second half stoppage time for VIU to draw level, once again thanks to penalty spot conversion from Blasco.

In the first minute of extra time, Edwards would restore the Sheridan lead, running on to a Molham Babouli through ball at the top of the area and hammering it first touch, low on the short side.

Five minutes from time, VIU would pull level yet again, setting up the drama of the penalty shootout.

The first five shooters for both sides - featuring Velastegui, Babouli, Manny Morgado, Edwards and Tarik Robertson for Sheridan - all converted to extend the match even more.

After VIU missed wide left on their sixth attempt, Divizio-Mendes had the chance to clinch the title and he made no mistake, burying it in the bottom right corner.

After watching the way his club faced adversity time and again throughout the game, Seuradge couldn't have been more proud of their workmanlike attitude.

"There were some things today that could have turned into an excuse for the players to put their heads down and give up," he said. "An early penalty shot and then every time we got in front, VIU managed to come back. In the shootout, we were there a couple days ago, a great goalie in net, great players on the field and they were so composed and put away all the shots in front of them."

While many look at game winning penalty kicks as a gauntlet of pressure to overcome, the Double-Blue faced them twice on their road to the title and converted all 11 that they faced.

Seuradge pointed a very simple reason for how it happened: they practiced them.

"Coming into this week, we did do some work on our penalty shootouts," he said. "At this level, the stakes are so high and the margins between how the teams are separated is so narrow, that you just know it's going to come down to them  some how, some way. So if it did come down to that, I wanted us to be ready. All the players that were on the field today, were ready. And it showed when every ball was placed perfectly."

Goalkeeper Daniel Voci was named tournament MVP, while Velastegui and Babouli were both named tournament all-stars.

Source: Sheridan College