Pitched battle
Lady Hawks hosting Cape Breton Capers in rematch of last year’s semifinal
Eleven months after Memorial University’s clutch playoff win over the University of Cape Breton, the Atlantic University Sport women’s soccer rivals figure to go at it tooth and nail again this weekend in St. John’s.
The Sea-Hawks play host to the Capers 1 o’clock this afternoon and 11 a.m. Sunday at King George V Park.
The last time these teams met, it was in the AUS semifinals at Dalhousie University with the Sea-Hawks slipping past the Capers 2-1 on penalty kicks. Memorial entered that game as the favourite, and went on to win it all, celebrating the university’s first women’s soccer conference crown.
This weekend, it’s the Capers who might have the slightest of edges. While the Sea-Hawks are unbeaten at 3-0-2, the 4-1-1 Capers have two more points than Memorial and boast a pretty impressive 22-2 goals for and against ratio.
“They’re a good team... they’ve got a dangerous attack,” acknowledged Memorial coach Mike Power, “but we’ve got a few weapons, too.
“We’re good enough that we can keep possession of the ball,” he said, “and I think that if you do that, you can dictate the flow of the game. If you hold possession, it helps you control momentum.”
Cape Breton’s Keona Simmonds is tied for the conference scoring lead with seven goals, and teammate Karolyne Blain has six.
But the Sea-Hawks boast second-team all-Canadian and AUS all-star Jessie Noseworthy, with five goals, and threegoal scorer Emily Bailey, the reigning conference rookie of the year.
Power is quick to note, however, there is more to the Memorial squad than mere stats. Kiera Eavis, who played for Power at the 2009 Canada Summer Games, is back in the Sea-Hawks’ fold following a break from action, and is handling the bulk of the team’s netminding chores. Further, Power likes the Sea-Hawks’ depth, singling out the play of rookies Stacey Hanlon, Anna Aucoin, Sydney Hector and Jenny Bent, “which gives us more options.”
As for the Capers, Power knows if Memorial is to repeat, the Sea-Hawks will have to go through Cape Breton once again.
“They should be two close games, much likes the semis last year,” he said. “Both teams have improved, so I’m expecting a grind this weekend.”