One step closer to goal
Cape Breton Capers advance to AUS women’s championship game with win over Memorial
When the Cape Breton Capers women’s soccer club began the 2018 season, the team set goals and one of those was to reach the Atlantic University Sport championship game.
The Capers, the defending AUS champions, were successful in reaching their goal on Friday.
Cape Breton, who entered the tournament as the top seed, advanced to the AUS championship game with a 2-0 win over the No. 6 seed Memorial SeaHawks in front of an estimated 70 fans at the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex in Sydney.
Madison Goodliffe and Ciera Disipio each scored goals for the Capers in the win, while Rachel Yerxa stopped all four shots she faced in the contest.
AUS first team all-star Sydney Walsh turned aside 15 of 17 shots in the loss for the St. John’s-based university.
“I think we came out really strong, the energy was so high, and it was awesome,” said Goodliffe. “We played our game and we were calm but energized and we just pressured them the whole time.”
Cape Breton opened the scoring early in the first half with Goodliffe finding the twine. Disipio, the AUS most valuable player, added an insurance goal at 26:51 of the game, making the score 2-0 for the Capers.
Despite trailing in the game, the SeaHawks continued to put pressure on the Capers in the second half, an effort that didn’t go unnoticed by Cape Breton head coach Stephen (Ness) Timmons.
“The game was never finished until the 90th minute because they were coming at us right until the end and they battled hard,” said Timmons.
“We knew what we were up against and we thought that if we came out hard and tried to get to them in the first half that maybe we would settle into the game.”
In the other semifinal Friday morning, the No. 4 seed St. Francis X-Women upset the No. 2 seed Acadia Axewomen 1-0.
Kelsey Ellis
had the lone goal in the game on a penalty kick in the 90th minute.
Emma Kuzmyk made five saves in the win for the XWomen. Sarah Charnock stopped six of seven shots in the loss.
Cape Breton will play St. Francis Xavier in the championship game on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m., at the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex.
“We know they (St. FX) have a very good midfield — it’s topnotch — but I know that our midfield can handle them 100 per cent and I think it’s an advantage playing on home turf, having everyone behind us.”
The winner of the AUS championship will advance to the U Sports national soccer championship, Nov. 8-11 in Ottawa. Ont.