While the average women’s soccer fan at McGill might point to the team’s impressive conference record and harvest of major year-end awards as signs of a successful 2009-10 campaign, the Martlet players and coaching staff aren’t nearly satisfied with the season’s results. McGill failed to capture a Quebec championship for the second time in five months, falling 1-0 to the Montreal Carabins in indoor soccer action on Sunday in Trois-Rivières.

“They were very disappointed,” said Head Coach Marc Mounicot of his team. “A lot of people don’t count the indoor league [to be] as important as the fall [outdoor season], but when you see the disappointment on [the players’] faces, you realize how important it is to them. They weren’t fooling around after the game – they were really pissed.”

The Martlets cruised through the indoor schedule, compiling a 5-1-1 record in regular season play and scoring convincing wins over UQTR and Sherbrooke in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Once again, though, McGill couldn’t find a way to prevail against a team that has had their number all year. Montreal’s Virginia Levesque scored from close range off a set play in the 14th minute of play, and the Martlets struggled to capitalize on their chances in the offensive third.

“[We] were dominant in the first half and had a lot of chances,” Mounicot said. “Montreal went into our half maybe one or two times, and we gave up a stupid goal. It was almost exactly like the goal we gave up a week ago [against Sherbrooke] on a set play. Montreal got more physical [in the second half], and we didn’t have the same fluidity, maybe because of fatigue. In general, it was a very positive game. It’s just too bad that we couldn’t tie it because we deserved it.”

While a few McGill players were forced to play with nagging injuries, Mounicot denied that the team’s overall health was a significant factor in the defeat. Instead, Mounicot stressed the need for more of a killer instinct next season, and the importance of fielding players who can dictate the flow of the game under pressure.

“We have a clear problem finishing,” he said. “It’s not a problem when we play against weaker teams, and we have some players who are able to make a difference, but against a solid team like Montreal, we should have scored – we don’t have a game-breaker player yet. We need a girl who can change the game. The team was playing so well as a unit, and they played so well with respect to the game plan and moving the ball, but we should have scored, and that’s what we were lacking.

“It is very encouraging [that we can compete with Montreal]. The team we had this winter was very young, and it’s just disappointing because we were due to beat [Montreal] and we didn’t. I was hoping yesterday that we would see a different result. That was disappointing.”

The coaching staff will certainly look to address the team’s mental toughness next season, and Mounicot hopes that some of his incoming rookies will be ready to step into important roles. Despite the disappointing finish to a promising second half of the season, the program continues to be one of the most consistently successful at McGill, and the outlook is promising for the coming year.

“Recruiting is going well,” Mounicot said. “The class will be solid, and I am very positive about next year. But I have a very bitter taste in my mouth after yesterday.”