2024 Women's Soccer Season Preview

Written by Thomas Scott

After a heartbreaking defeat in the AUS quarterfinal last season, the Dalhousie Tigers will look to gain AUS glory and win nationals on home turf.

The Tigers finished last season 5-4-3, going undefeated through the season's final five games. In 2022, Dal made the AUS final, losing 1-0 to the Cape Breton Capers. Losing in penalties to the Memorial Sea-Hawks in last year's AUS quarter final has only added more fuel to the fire.

Head coach Cindy Tye expects a tight conference this year and the battle-tested Tigers to be ready for it.

“With another year of experience and the addition of new faces, we are looking forward to what this group will be able to accomplish this year,” says Tye.

A quarterfinal defeat at the hands of the Sea-Hawks after being finalists in 2023, should add more fuel to the fire for the Tigers, but hope this time, experience will pay off.

Last year’s team was younger, and with another year of experience in the AUS under Dal’s belt, along with offseason training, the Tigers are primed to make a run for the conference title.

“We have a lot of players that grew throughout the off-season and came into camp ready. Many of our second and third-year players will play a big role in our lineup,” says Tye. “We are typically a possession-based team that is working on our ability to be more dynamic in attack. We have an organized and disciplined defensive mentality with a little bit of bite.”

The Tigers have plenty of returning talent, including fourth-year midfielder Megan Chiasson returning, who received AUS first-team all-star honours and was named a second team all-Canadian and Elise Evans, a third-year striker who was named second team AUS all-star.

Combining the returning and new talent on the team, Tye is confident in her rookies.

“We have a strong first-year group," says Tye. "They will all develop at different times. In the last couple of weeks, two local players, Jordan Camp and Niamh Martin Manuel, have made an impact. Niah Kuehne, from B.C., will be one to watch.”

The ultimate goal is to win the national title on home turf. The U SPORTS Women's Soccer Championship, presented by BMO, will be held from November 7 to 10 at Wickwire Memorial Field at Dalhousie University.

“It's an honour to get the chance to show off our city and school to participants and fans. We see it as more than just a tournament; it is a celebration of women's sport,” says Tye.

“With the help of our title sponsor, BMO, we have some things in place that will connect with the local soccer community. That has been an important part of our planning. As a team, we get the chance to test ourselves and the opportunity to create memorable experiences for the participants.”

The Tigers open the season on Saturday at 3 pm at Wickwire field against the Moncton Aigles Bleues.