CBU women score late to defeat Acadia in AUS final in Antigonish

According to Ness Timmons, his players could feel the love from home.

While hundreds of fans cheered the Capers men to an AUS soccer title back in Cape Breton, the long-time CBU women’s soccer team head coach was busy watching his charges play an equally tough match in Antigonish.

“We’re feeling the love, we’re extremely happy and we’re now we’re going to enjoy the bus ride,” said the congenial Timmons, just before boarding the team coach in Antigonish, where St. Francis Xavier hosted the AUS women’s championship.

Like their male counterparts, the women Capers also entered the championship game unbeaten on the season.

Although the two sides traded chances, the first half was scoreless. But, less than three minutes after the resumption of play, AUS-leading goal scorer Keona Simmonds scored to give the Capers a 1-0 lead.

But the lead didn’t last long as Acadia’s Alexandra Scovil scored just five minutes later and the Capers found themselves in the rare position of not leading when entering the final minutes of a match.

“We felt we had a great first half and that we created some good chances - you always want to score that first goal to set the tone,” said Timmons, who led the Capers to the 2007 national championship.

“We felt great coming out after the break, we took it to them and got our goal, but conceded one a few minutes later and the game shifted, so it was a nail-biter at the end.”

But, unlike last season when the favoured Capers bowed out of the AUS championship in the semifinals, this year’s team rallied as fifth-year midfielder Tamara Brown scored the game-winning goal with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation time.

Cape Breton hung on for the victory in a match that saw the Capers outshoot their Axe Women rivals 21-11. Twelve CBU shots were on target, while Acadia managed to get shots on the goal of Capers goalie Lysianne Trottier.

The 2017 title banner is the ninth for Cape Breton since 2003. They also won in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2015.

Like the men, the women will head west for the national championships. However, they are going to Winnipeg, where the University of Manitoba is slated to host the tournament, Nov. 9-12.