Written by Duncan Forbes
The 2013 season began with lots of promise for the women’s
soccer team. They were again one of the favourites to go home with
the AUS championship.
The Tigers were two-time defending AUS champions, and many
veteran players remained from the championship teams. With the
likes of Daphne Wallace, Kristy McGregor-Bales, Joanna Blodgett,
Andie Vanderlaan and Bianca Jakisa, the Tigers still had a strong
nucleus of players with a history of winning.
The season began with a thrilling 4-4 tie against the Cape
Breton Capers at home. Bianca Jakisa notched two goals in the
opener, and the four goals allowed by Shannon Junor would turn out
to be half of the goals the Tigers would allow all season.
After losing to Moncton the following day 1-0, the Tigers
would go on a five-game winning streak, with wins against Saint
Mary’s, Mount Allison, StFX and Acadia. The team was on a
torrent pace, and over the streak the Tigers had an astonishing 13
goals for and zero against. Veteran keeper Taryn McKenna made her
return to the Tigers lineup on September 25 against Saint
Mary’s, recording a shutout in the 3-0 victory.
The streak was ended with a shocking loss to the UPEI Panthers
in Charlottetown on September 28. The Panthers were 1-0-3 at the
time, but managed to silence the streaking Tigers.
October was a big month for the Tigers, who went 4-0-1 and
only surrendered one goal in five games. The month was capped off
with a home stand against Acadia and UNB, winning 2-0 and 3-0,
respectively. The Tigers finished 9-2-2 on the year and allowed an
AUS-low eight goals, while scoring 28 goals, second to only the
first-place Capers.
Their strong record gave them the second seed in the AUS
championship in Moncton and a bye to the semifinals for the second
straight year.
It turned out that the Tigers would face the Acadia Axewomen,
the third-seeded team who they’d beaten twice in the regular
season, including a 2-0 victory at home only a week before.
After a scoreless half that saw multiple chances from both
sides, the Axewomen gained the lead in the 57th minute with a goal
off a free kick. It would take late game heroics from striker
Victoria Parkinson, who tied the game up in the 78th minute to send
the game to overtime.
With their season hanging by a thread, the Tigers knew that if
they were going to defend their championship, they would have to
make a stand. Unfortunately, Acadia had other plans, and stunned
the Tigers when they snuck one past Taryn McKenna in the 105th
minute.
Bianca Jakisa and Joanna Blodgett led the team in scoring with
five goals apiece, and were fourth in the AUS in scoring. Keeper
Shannon Junor led the AUS with a 0.51 goals-against average.
Kristy McGregor-Bales, Victoria Parkinson and Joanna Blodgett
were all named AUS first team all-stars. McGregor-Bales was also
named a CIS first team all-Canadian, while Blodgett was named a CIS
second team all-Canadian.
Taryn McKenna, Andie Vanderlaan, Bianca Jakisa and Joanna
Blodgett all graduate this year and leave behind a true legacy of
success that has spanned the last few years for the Tigers
