SYDNEY – Abigail Evans (St. John's, NL) scored the game-winner – in penalty kicks – as the Memorial SeaHawks (#5) punched their ticket to the semifinals of the 2023 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Women's Soccer Championship – presented by Bell – with a 2-1 (5-4) victory over the Dalhousie Tigers (#4) on Thursday at Ness Timmons Field. 

Evans, the seventh shooter for Memorial, was able to beat Dalhousie keeper Emily Toth (Markham, ON), who made two saves in the shootout, while SeaHawk keeper Shannon Galway (St. John's, NL) also made a pair of stops, while one Tiger penalty kick went wide. 

In regulation time, striker Elise Evans (Toronto, ON) of the Tigers, a 2023 AUS second-team all-star, garnered the first quality scoring opportunity for either side – in the 27th minute – but Memorial keeper Shannon Galway (St. John's, NL) dove and got her fingertips on the shot and deflected the attempt out of harm's way.  

Moments later, Dalhousie collected another opportunity, with Maeve McCloskey (Georgetown, ON) setting up Kaitlyn Clarke (Edmonton, AB), but Galway made another diving save on the junior striker. 

In the 35th minute, AUS first-team all-star Zoe Rowe (Conception Bay South, NL) and Claire Langille (Windsor Junction, NS) combined to test Toth, but the Tiger keeper kept the contest scoreless. 

The sides were scoreless at halftime. 

Early in the second half, in the 51st minute, Rowe ripped a strike over the crossbar, coming up empty on a prime scoring opportunity. 

In the 56th minute, on an electrifying run by Langille, she sped down the wing and beat Toth with a hard shot to the short side to make it 1-0 for Memorial. 

A short time later, in the 59th minute, Sarah Giles (Toronto, ON) picked up a loose ball in the six-yard box and ripped a left-footed strike behind Galway to knot the contest 1-1. 

The team traded chances during the remaining time in the second half, with both coming up empty. 

The score stayed the same over two 15-minute overtime sessions, which set the stage for the penalty-kick drama that end with the strike from Evans. 

With the victory the SeaHawks move on to the semi-final round, where they will face the STFX X-Women – the top seed in the tournament – on Friday, Oct. 27, at 11 a.m. ADT, on the turf at Ness Timmons Field.