Men's soccer rivalry begins as Durham College bests UOIT in friendly match

Fans from Durham College and UOIT watch as the each institution's men's soccer team play in the inaugural Green and Blue soccer game on September 10.

In what is sure to become a must-see event for years to come, the men's soccer teams at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) met on Vaso's Field for the inaugural Green and Blue soccer game on September 10. The Lords came out victorious, beating the Ridgebacks 4-2.

Coaches and players were thrilled to be part of what is hoped to be an annual tradition, with dozens of students lining the field to cheer on their respective schools. Both coaches reminded their teams that even though it was an exhibition game, they were to treat it as though it was a regular season matchup.

"This was the first match between the two teams on campus and it will be something special for them to look back on," said Durham College Head Coach Stan Bombino. "It was nice to come out with the win with both teams playing hard."

Since leaving Durham College after a storied and successful 26-year coaching career with both the men's and women's soccer programs, UOIT men's head coach Vaso Vujanovic echoed Bombino's sentiments.

"It was fun to play against Durham in front of great fans," said Vujanovic. "I am looking forward to playing them again next year where we hope to see a different result."

The Lords opened the scoring, netting two quick goals before the Ridgebacks closed the lead to one before halftime. When play resumed, both squads traded goals early, making the score 3-2. As UOIT pressed for an equalizer, Durham added another goal to seal the 4-2 win.

After finishing just one point out of last year's provincial playoffs, the Lords are looking to making an impact on the Ontario College Athletic Association's (OCAA) Central East division and reach the post-season in 2009.

Since opening the year with the exhibition win, the men's squad begun the season on a high note, winning four of their first seven games and tying two others, with their only loss coming at the hands of last year's OCAA champion the Algonquin Thunder.

The Lords will travel to Sir Sanford Fleming College for their next game on Wednesday, October 7 at 8 p.m.