By Kathleen Matthews
For Dalhousie fans, the best of the best didn't win CIAU soccer gold this weekend, they won bronze. Dal ended the 1997 season finishing third nationally and proving that there is more to winning than scoring the most goals- it is heart, character and team spirit.
Dal beat last year's silver medalists, the University of Western Ontario Mustangs, 4-0 on Friday, lost a close match 1-0 to UBC Saturday, and rebounded with a gutsy performance Sunday to take the bronze 2-0 over York.
CIAU action opened with two matches on Thursday. UBC beat Western 1-0 in a lacklustre performance, and York won a close game over McGill 2-1. Dal started off CIAU action with an impressive 4-0 win over the Mustangs. Both Dal and Western started off apprehensively as play went end to end with only a few scoring chances on both sides. Dal had numerous scoring opportunities but were unable to capitalize on their chances. Western tried to get things going but Dal's defensive lineup of Graeme Allard ice, Marc Rainford, and Chad Denny were unbeatable. Dal also used the free kicks to their advantage as Allardice was on the mark with every ball but first half ended scoreless.
Dal opened the second half with a goal in the first two minutes, as Emmanuel Gaopotlake pushed past the defense to shoot a beauty just inside the box as the keeper went down. Minutes later, Stuart Cochran belted one into the net, putting Dal up by two.
Dal dominated the half with well-executed balls and constant pressure up front and, in the 49th minute, Cochran scored Dal's third goal off a great pass from English.
"They were alright - poachers' goals I call them, eighteen yard drivers," said Cochran. "I just got them in the back of the net. The ball broke free on the first goal and I just slid it underneath the keeper. The second goal, Paul [English] put a great ball through to me, and I basically just let loose on the right foot again and it found the top corner of the net."
Things got rough with yellow cards on both sides but Dal kept the momentum. In the 75th minute, Marco Cesario battled the opposition for the ball and won, putting Dal's fourth in the top of the net to round out the scoring. Player of the Game honours went to English consistently.
"Again, the boys kept the momentum going from last week in the AUAAs," said English. "People just stepped up one hundred per cent from the regular season, and they just kept that momentum going."
Other action on Friday saw the St.FX X-Men down the York Yeomen 2-1 thanks to a couple of lucky goals and some excellent saves by X-Man keeper Jackie Chi holm.
Dal played their second game Saturday against UBC in very cold, wet conditions. After a day off, UBC came out strong, challenging every ball with speed and precision. Dal seemed a bit tentative and, even though they continued to be solid in back, they couldn't settle the ball on the slick surface long enough to find the net. In the 37th minute, UBC's Troy Wood ended the half by scoring a beauty at close range off an excellent cross.
The second half saw some of the tournament's best soccer with Dal and UBC battling for every ball. Dal came out strong and settled the ball well. English and Fraelic continued to hustle as Dal created many scoring opportunities but were unable to capitalize.
Player of the Game honours went to Rainford for superior defensive play in back. UBC's Simon Daniels also received Player of the Game honours. With this loss, Dal moved on to the bronze medal match and UBC the gold medal match on Sunday.
Saturday also saw McGill battle St.FX for the remaining spot in Sunday's gold medal match. The game was scrappy but McGill won the match 2-0.
Many people doubted Dal's chances going into the ClAUs, but Sunday's bronze medal match against the York Yeomen showed why the Tigers have, once again, come this far. The Tigers who stepped out on the field Sunday were nothing like the team seen a day earlier. From the start, it was obvious that Dal was not going to let this one go.
Cochran opened scoring in the first ten minutes with his third of the playoffs. The tempo was fast and furious as Dal fought for every ball, winning most of them. The defensive lineup was unbeatable and everyone was on the move. Dal kept the pressure on and ended the half up by one.
Again Dal came out fast in the second half as Ernst pushed up the wing and got a hot off. With this kind of pressure it was just a matter of time before Dal would score another. York tried to get something going but Dal's defense were letting nothing through.
In the 78th minute English scored a beauty when Richie Tobin put an excellent ball across to Ernst who placed it perfectly up the middle. English took the pass and seemed to beat York's defense with little effort and let off a blast that found the left corner.
Even with a two-goal advantage, Dal did not let up. Several good chances came in the last minutes of the game but the outcome was obvious- Dal won 2-0 to take the CIAU bronze medal.
Later on in the day, McGill, who finished fourth last year, took gold over UBC in an exciting 5-4 win in penalty kicks. Both sides had an excellent game, but UBC should have been able to put it away in regulation time.
The Tigers had fought hard on Sunday and were pleased with their performance.
"Only two teams get to win on the last day and we are one of them," said head coach Ian Kent. "I am very, very proud of them. The focus was on winning the gold but we refocused, and that's a good thing."
Assistant coach Darrell Cormier echoed these sentiments.
“The boys had the heart to win and the will to win- and they did."
The Tigers' gutsy efforts were recognized with All-Star standing. English was awarded his second consecutive CIAU AllStar, CIAU Tournament All-Star and MVP honours. Veteran defender Rainford and Cochran were also selected as Tournament All-Stars.
"I was really proud of the way the guys came out today after losing yesterday [to UBC]," said Allardice. "I think it says a lot for the program and the character of the team."
"We didn't think we were the best group of players in the country, but we battled every minute for each other and became a real genuine team rather than being a group of individuals," said English. "It is a very rewarding feeling."
The contribution of rookies was an important one this year. One rookie deserving of special mention is Grant Spence who was expected to fill in for veteran keeper Mike Hudson at the beginning of the year. Spence more than did his job this year he came away with three wins at AUAAs and two shutouts at his first Nationals.
"We wanted to get something out of this [and] we pulled it off," he said. "We have had a great year, the whole team."
It is time to move on for veteran players who were instrumental in all of Dal's successes over the past few years. Good luck and farewell to AllStar midfielder Dave McFarlane, All-Star defender Marc Rainford, and two-time AUAA scoring champion Richie Tobin.
"I don't feel much disappointment; what we did as a team today exceeds any disappointment," said Rainford. "I am a little sad that it's over, but it's nice- I did what I wanted to do.”
The soccer Tigers have far exceeded expectations and congratulations must go out to all team members and support staff.
First published in the Dalhousie Gazette vl 130, iss10 on Novemb