The Montreal Carabins took their first step towards defending their national title on Thursday night with a 2-0 victory over the OUA finalist York Lions in front of more than 1,500 boisterous fans at the 2019 U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championship presented by La Cage – Brasserie sportive in Montreal.
 
The Lions drop to the consolation side of the draw for the fourth straight year while the Carabins are still in the running for their second straight banner.
 
After a slow start to the contest, the Carabins had the first good chance of the match in the 19^th minute but York goalkeeper Mike Argyrides made a huge save on the redirect to keep the game scoreless.
 
Five minutes later it was the Lions' turn for a great chance. Vaughan Bianchi made a great pass into the box that was headed by Christopher Jacovou but the ball sailed just wide of the net. Minutes later Cristian Cavallini had two decent shots but neither found the back of the net.
 
The hosts began applying more pressure early in the second half. Three minutes in the Carabins were awarded a corner. The initial shot rolled into the opposite corner of the field but Montreal got the ball back in front of the net and, after Argyrides went down to make a save, got two shots off that were saved by a York defender standing in front of the net.
 
The Carabins were finally rewarded for their efforts in the 59^th minute when Mouad Ouzane connected for the first goal of the game, and 13 minutes later Guy-Frank Essomé-Penda chipped the ball over Argyrides' head and into the back of the net.
 
The field was tipped for the majority of the second half, and for the game the Carabins outshot the Lions 24-5. Argyrides finished with seven saves, including a pair of beauties in the dying minutes of the game.
 
"We did a good job stopping their transition in the first half," said York head coach Carmine Isacco. "But they're a well-prepared and well-coached team that created opportunities in transition in the second half that led to their goals."
 
Merci Yuma was named York's player of the match, while Montreal's Aboubacar Sissoko earned the honour for Montreal.
 
The Lions will now face the Calgary Dinos in the second consolation final on Friday at 12:30pm, with the winner advancing to the fifth-place match on Saturday. The Carabins, meanwhile, face the Cape Breton Capers in the last semifinal of the day.