Canadian Soccer League

TROIS-RIVIERES ATTAK TAKE CONTROL FOR 3-0 VICTORY........Veteran defender Humphrey hits hat-trick in Friday's 5-0 Italia victory over St. Catharines

2009-09-26

Trois-Rivieres took control to come out 3-0 winners over Portugal FC Saturday night, while on Friday, Italia Shooters’ defender Desi Humphrey entered the game just before half-time to bag a hat-trick in a 5-0 defeat of St. Catharines Wolves, both games in the first leg of a quarter-finals series in the CSL playoffs.

In a game played in progressively heavy rain, Trois-Rivieres opened the scoring at the Toronto west-end venue when James Louis-Jeune collected the ball just inside the Portugal penalty area to crash the ball into the roof of the net out of reach of Portugal FC ‘keeper Mike Silva. The goal came at 44 minutes for a 1-0 Attak lead at the interval and at 61 minutes Karl Ouimette made it 2-0 for the visitors, to be followed by a third goal at the 87^th minute mark from Attak forward Shady Saleh.

Portugal FC lost midfielder Giovanni Annisi at 72 minutes when shown the red card by referee Geoff Gamble following a second yellow.

Annisi will miss the return game in Quebec on October 3 as a result of the send-off and Portugal FC reported veteran Danny Amaral doubtful after leaving the game with an injury early in the game.

A second half collapse by St. Catharines Wolves in the CSL playoff opener Friday night followed the ejection by referee Justin Tasev of midfielder Matthew Stillman at 36 minutes for violent conduct and Wolves’ forward Joe DelPriore at 43 minutes who received a second yellow card.

Italia Shooters’ forward Balke Ordell got things underway at the Club Roma ground in St. Catharines with a goal just three minutes after the kickoff for the visitors, a 1-0 lead at half-time

Nick Cisternino increased the lead to 2-0 at 55 minutes and Humphrey put a further three at 79, 82 and 86 minutes past St. Catharines’ goalkeeper Tony Visca, the back-up ‘keeper for the absent Claudio Perri.

The two games were the first of 12 playoff games before the CSL Championship Final on October 24. The top eight of 10 teams in the CSL go through a 2-game home and away quarter-final series before the similar 2-game home and away semi-final series.

It's a 2-game total points aggregate series with overtime in the second game if tied on total points at the end of 90 minutes.