Last weekend in AUS action the Tigers soccer teams hosted both the Cape Breton Capers and Memorial Sea-Hawks at Wickwire Field. The cross country teams also had a strong showing in their second meet of the season at the StFX Invitational.
Women鈥檚 Soccer
CBU 3 @ DAL 2; MUN 0 @ DAL 6
On Saturday Dal welcomed the undefeated Capers on home turf after a close loss the previous weekend. Despite the foggy conditions, the Tigers looked to set the tone with an aggressive start. The women peppered the CBU keeper with shots, and Rieka Santilli scored minutes into play. Following the early goal, the Capers netminder found her rhythm and proved resilient. After a series of penalty kicks, CBU managed to build a 3-1 lead over the Tigers. Playing their hearts out in the final minutes, the women were able to put up one last point, but the clock ran out preventing them from making the comeback.
Sunday was a new day for the Tigers as they looked to re-establish their authority within the league through strong play against the Sea-Hawks. The match showcased Dal鈥檚 offence as they applied pressure during the first half, testing the tenacity of the opposing defence. Scoreless after the first half, Memorial held strong, only to crack under the pressure in the second. The Tigers put up six goals in the remainder of the match, with Daphne Wallace scoring two to earn player of the game honours. A convincing victory for the black and gold sets the tone for next week鈥檚 homecoming match against Acadia.
Men鈥檚 Soccer
CBU 2 @ DAL 2; MUN 1 @ DAL 5
On Saturday鈥檚 grey afternoon, the men defended Wickwire while looking for a second-straight victory over the Capers. It was a head-to-head contest for control over the pitch, with each team having their moments of superiority. The first half belonged to Dal as Tyler Lewars and Nathan Rogers took the reins to create a 2-0 lead. The Tigers held the upper hand for the majority of the match, but a brief lapse in judgement allowed the Capers to capitalize late in the game. With two quick goals, Cape Breton was able to even the score and the men settled for a tie against their opponents.
Sunday proved to be a more favourable afternoon for the men as they looked to sweep the Sea-Hawks. From the start of the game it was a one-sided match with the Tigers asserting their dominance on the pitch. After numerous shots on goal, Nathan Rogers was the first to find the back of the net for Dal, but more would soon follow. Leading 2-1 going into the second half, the black and gold scored three more goals while keeping the Memorial offence at bay. The 5-1 victory gives the men confidence in their scoring abilities as they prepare for next week鈥檚 battle against second-ranked Acadia on home turf.
Cross Country StFX Invitational
Dal鈥檚 cross country runners found themselves in Antigonish this past weekend for a meet hosted by rivals StFX. The black and gold had another strong showing at the race, with the team running hard to claim the second place standing.
In an extremely tight contest on the 8km course, Bruce Russell led the Tigers with an impressive fourth place finish, just 0.2 seconds off the lead. The women鈥檚 5km race was just as highly contested with Dal鈥檚 Ellen Chappell and Anna von Maltzahn finishing fifth and sixth respectively to help carry the team.
The cross country teams lace up again on October 6th at the Acadia Invitational and will look to once again challenge StFX for the top spot.