On Saturday night, the Impact U18 won its first game of 2017 by the score of 3-0 against the McGill Redmen. It was the first game of a series of seven for head coach Yoann Damet’s team against university teams from Québec.
Damet’s players did not waste any time. In the 12th minute, Don-Junior Bobe pressed the opposite goalkeeper who was in possession of the ball, sending it in Gabriel Balbinotti’s feet. The striker finished in an empty net.
The Impact came close to adding a second only a few minutes later. A nice combination of more than 10 passes, built from the back, lead to a chance for Bobe, who got the ball alone behind the defenders. The goalkeeper made the save on a low shot.
In the 55th minute, Mathieu Choinière took the ball. He dribbled past two opponents before entering the box alone with Balbinotti. Two against the goalkeeper, Choinière decided to pass to Balbinotti who easily scored his second of the game.
Fifteen minutes later, Choinière created another goal when he passed to Vincent Lamy behind the defenders. Lamy scored on a low shot, making it 3-0. The score remained the same until the final whistle.
In the win, goalkeeper Christopher Hansen-Barkun played his first minutes after being away from the game for more than two years because of a knee injury.
“The boys were motivated to play because they are competitors,” said Yoann Damet. “I saw good things with the level of intensity and pace, as well as the content in certain phases of the game. Offensively, we showed quality to create chances. Defensively, there are still some adjustments to be made. This year, we play the full university championship with the U18s. It’s interesting because of the engagement of the opponents. The players are older so it’s different. It’s good to face them.”
The Impact U18 will play its next game on Sunday, January 29, against Concordia University, at the Stinger Dome.
