By Thomas Becker, UPEI Athletics

The Dalhousie Tigers are headed to the playoffs. 

The Tigers (4-5-3) came into Saturday night's match in a do-or-die situation, needing a victory to secure a coveted playoff spot, and they pulled it off behind the heroics of rookie striker Ben Thompson, whose early goal was all they needed. 

Both teams were fully aware of what was at stake and it was evident from the opening kickoff. The Tigers came out with an intensity that reflected the importance of the match, while the Panthers (1-8-3)—who were already eliminated from contention—were determined to play the role of spoilers. 

In just the 8th minute, the Tigers got the breakthrough they desperately needed. Thompson delivered the decisive goal on a broken play defensively that allowed the striker to rush the goalie and sneak one in the back of the net. With that early lead, Dalhousie took a significant step towards clinching their playoff berth and refused to let slip through their fingers. 

The rest of the match saw a resilient Tigers' defence working tirelessly to maintain their one-goal advantage. They held UPEI to just one shot on goal the entire night, as rookie goalkeeper Sinclair Astridge earned the clean sheet on the easy save. 

With this crucial win, the Tigers punched their ticket to the postseason, where they'll face the UNB Reds on October 26 at 8 p.m.