Kleit's clutch kick helps soccer Redmen silence Citadins, salvage draw

Mohamed Kleit (PHOTO: Derek Drummond)

Box Score

MONTREAL -- Mohamed Kleit connected in the 73rd minute as McGill rallied to salvage a 2-2 tie with the visiting UQAM Citadins in an RSEQ men's soccer thriller before 310 at Percival Molson Stadium, Friday.

It was a key first meeting of the season between two teams currently wrestling for the fourth and final playoff berth in the seven-team Quebec conference. McGill (2-2-1) and UQAM (1-0-4) are deadlocked with seven points apiece. The only other rendezvous between these local rivals is slated to be played at UQAM on Oct. 20

The Redmen had a significant territorial advantage with a 12-5 edge in shots on goal but they were thwarted time and time again by UQAM goalkeeper Valentin Lamoulle, who made 10 saves, many of them spectaular. McGill 'keeper Antoine Marchal was credited with three saves.

After a scoreless opening half, the two teams combined for four goals in a highly-entertaining second stanza.

Redmen freshman Alexis Solis of Montreal opened the scoring with arguably one of the prettiest goals in CIS soccer this season. On an innocuous play that started with the McGill 'keeper kicking the ball upfield, 11 McGill players touched the ball before it was headed out of the box by a UQAM defender. Solis, a 5-foot-5, 172-pound defender, intercepted the ball about 32 yards in front of the UQAM net, then made a quick stutter step and rifled a right-footed howitzer into the top right corner of the net in the 54th minute.

SEE GOAL OF THE SEASON AT THE 1:57 MARK

Undaunted, the Citadins bounced back less than three minutes later when defender Andre Gregory-Bona evened the count at 1-1. With McGill playing on their heels, UQAM struck again in the 68th minute when defender Karim Ait-Abdelmalek regained the lead for the visitors, setting the stage for Kleit to be the hero.

The Redmen (2-2-1) play at the UdeM Carabins (1-2-2) on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m.