Tigers fall to Sea-Hawks
Taylor Heard was named the player of the game for the Tigers.
ANTIGONISH, NS – On the strength of a second-half goal from AUS first-team all-star Zoe Rowe (Conception Bay South, NL), the Memorial Sea-Hawks (#4) defeated the Dalhousie Tigers (#5) 1-0 in a hard-fought opening quarter-final match of the 2024 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Women's Soccer Championship on Thursday afternoon at STFX Stadium.
On the scoring play, in the 58th minute, Rowe caused a cough up from the Dalhousie back end, and then fed a pass to forward Jen Milligan (Strathroy, ON), who laced a strike from the wing, but keeper Brianne MacDonald (Chelsea, QC) made a sensational save. The rebound ended up on the toe of Rowe, who ripped a shot under the cross bar for what turned out to be the game-winner.
In the first minute of the contest, off a Memorial corner kick, Hannah Fudge (Conception Bay South, NL) collected a golden opportunity but Brianne MacDonald (Chelsea, QC), the Dalhousie keeper, made a great stop. A short time later, the Sea-Hawks garnered a free-kick opportunity, but they came up empty.
In an eventful opening, Memorial's Rowe was injured, but she returned to the pitch a short time later.
The Tigers answered with a couple of long-distance shots, including one from AUS first-team all-star Elise Evans (Toronto, ON), but MUN keeper Leana Claude (Grenchen, SUI) – also a conference first-teamer – made an easy stop. A few minutes later, Dalhousie had the opportunity to knot the match-up, on a corner kick, but they could not capitalize.
In the 20th minute, on their second corner kick of the match, Dalhousie's Evans took a short pass before placing a left-footed cross in the 18-yard box, but defender Bailey Hatcher (Middle Sackville, NS) could not capitalize. Olivia Jack (Stillwater Lake, NS), on a follow-up, sailed a strike high and wide behind Claude.
Evans, in the 26th minute, had a dangerous opportunity from in tight, but Claude, who was diving to her left, reached back with her right hand to make a stellar stop.
A couple of minutes later, on a free kick from Sydney Schram (Brandon, MB), the Tigers – on a header – collected the first touch in the 18-yard-box, but the ball ended up on the toe of Rowe, who chipped a pass to Grace Nolan (Conception Bay South, NL), whose strike of a knee-high ball floated wide of the net for the Sea-Hawks.
In the 40th minute, off a corner kick from Dal's Jack, Evans came up with the loose ball and struck a left-footed spinning strike that missed the target.
Late in the first half, Claire Langille (Fall River, NS), the 2024 AUS Student-Athlete Community Service Award recipient, ran on to a through ball down the right wing for Memorial, but MacDonald made the save for Dalhousie.
The match was scoreless heading to the locker room.
In the second half, after an early spurt by the Sea-Hawks, the Tigers carried the play for a more than 10-minute stretch, including a three-player run into the Memorial zone, but they could not get a shot on Claude. On a subsequent free kick, Schram made the first contact for the Sea-Hawks before it ended up with her keeper, who juggled the ball, but the Tigers could not take advantage.
After the Rowe marker, the sides' traded limited opportunities, as both tightened defensively.
With Dalhousie pressing down the stretch, Memorial defenders made several solid plays, including one from veteran fullback Sarah Jones (Marystown, NL), who made a nifty move to avoid her team having to surrender a corner kick.
Off the bench, fourth-year striker Hillary Ogoke (Calgary, AB) provided an offensive spark for the Tigers.
The final chance to tie the match for the Tigers came off a Jack corner kick; in a bevy of Sea-Hawk defenders, Hannah Firstbrook (Nepean, ON) rose and got her head on the ball, but it floated over the cross bar behind Claude – the player of the match for the Sea-Hawks.
Striker Taylor Heard (Ottawa, ON) collected the top-player nod for the Tigers.
Both teams finished with 11 shots on goal.
With the win, the Sea-Hawks will move on to face the top-seeded Cape Breton University Capers (#1) in semi-final action on Friday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. ADT, at STFX Stadium. The Tigers are eliminated from the AUS championship but their season will be extended as they host the U SPORTS national championship November 7-10 at Wickwire Field.