CCAA championship contender: Montmorency Nomades

By Andrea Dante

The Montmorency men’s soccer team has learned a lot of from its previous experience at last year’s nationals and is ready to try for the title that no Quebec team has won since 2007.

The Nomades confirmed their superiority their regional conference, winning the final 3-2 against Cégep Garneau to qualify for a second consecutive year at nationals.

The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championship will run Nov. 9-12 in Langley, B.C.

Quick turnaround

Francisco Vela has no doubts about his team’s improvement since he took over as head coach last year.

“The first year I felt we didn’t play exactly what we wanted,” Vela said. “We still did very well because we had quality players.

“But this year I felt the collective was way better.”

The excellent technical ability of his players remains the best quality of Montmorency.

“We are not the biggest, strongest team, but we have a lot of quality technical players,” he said. “Quick technical, very easy on the ball.”

Depth is the goal

The hopes of the Nomades lie not only in its 11 starters but also its strong substitutes, who were key in winning the Quebec conference.

Assistant coach Michael Lanoue said you can’t count on just 12 players.

“It’s impossible when you have like three games in four days,” he said. “So, the bench is really important.”

Despite their depth, there are a few crucial areas in which the team still needs to improve to be competitive in Langley.

“Sometimes we lack of concentration,” said Vela, noting Montmorency conceded several goals ths season due to avoidable defensive distractions. These mistakes can be fatal in a short and competitive tournament like CCAA, he said.

Ibrahim Chami, Montmorency’s captain and centre-back said he is proud of his “hardworking” team.

“Everything is possible, but we know if we are here, we are not here just to play,” Chami said. “We surely want to win.”