The Douglas College Royals men's soccer team capped off their season at the CCAA National Championship tournament, with a 4th place finish after a heartbreaking loss to the Champlain St. Lambert Cavaliers in the bronze medal final.
The Royals were in control for the majority of the bronze medal tilt, narrowly missing on a handful of quality opportunities. For the game the Royals would outshoot the Cavaliers 13-9.
The hopes of a bronze medal were dashed at the 85th minute when Forward Hugo Dufresne from the Cavaliers managed to convert off a mid-field free kick, flicked-on past the otherwise steady Royals defense. The lone tally would serve as the only marker for the scoreboard, the game ending at 1-0.
Third year forward Taylor Richardson would walk away with some hardware for the tournament, being named to the All-Star team for his steady and aggressive play.
The 4th place finish adds to the impressive tally of top 4 finishes that the men's soccer program has accumulated since the turn of the century. In the past twenty years, Douglas College has qualified for the CCAA Men's Soccer Championships 11 times, with 8 top 4 finishes (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze, 2 fourth), a testament to the quality of the program from coaching staff through to the players.
Looking forward, the Royals are in great position to return many key contributors from their roster as all have headroom in their eligibility ceilings.
Still, the sting of a season's goal so close but falling shy should linger and serve as fuel for next year's journey, hopefully to find the promised land of gold medals and championship banners.
