(ST. JOHN'S, NFLD.) - The Memorial Sea-Hawks men's soccer team will host the top university athletes in the Atlantic University Sport conference this weekend as the 2014 Subway AUS men's soccer championship take place at King George V Park in St. John's.
The event will take place from Friday, Oct. 31 to Sunday, Nov. 2.
The Subway AUS men's soccer championship, an esteemed annual event, will provide the community with the opportunity to watch varsity teams of a high calibre compete. In addition to Memorial, other competing universities include: Cape Breton, StFX, UPEI, Acadia, and UNB.
This marks the first time Memorial has hosted the Atlantic conference's three-day championship event. The reigning AUS champion UNB Varsity Reds, who are currently ranked second nationally and finished first in the AUS with an undefeated season, will return to defend their 2013 title.
This marks the first time the Sea-Hawks have attended the playoffs in recent years. The team who finished 10th in the AUS last season, made a run for the top five but unfortunately came up short and placed seventh in the conference.
The team struggled with a number of injuries from key players this season but saw some impressive performances from rookies guided by senior teammates who stepped up to provide leadership.
The Sea-Hawks (4-8-1) are looking forward to standing up against some great teams and are expected to put up a challenge for the third-ranked StFX X-Men (7-3-3) on Friday evening when the teams match up in the quarter-finals at 6 p.m.
Memorial head coach Scott Betts says he expects the team to represent Memorial with great pride, as they have all season.
Betts also recognizes the significance of hosting the championship.
"It gives our varsity athletes the opportunity to play in front of their friends and family and gives us the chance to play host to some great teams and student-athletes," he said. "Most importantly though, for the first time, the championship will generate great enthusiasm for the sport at the varsity level and expose local fans and young players to a level of high-calibre soccer."
Memorial athletics will also be taking the time during Friday's game to honour its fifth-year players. Student-athletes Matthew Hamlyn and Taedy O'Rourke will both play as Sea-Hawks for the last time on home soil during the championship.
The 2014 Subway AUS men's soccer championship tickets will be available at the gate at King George V Park at a daily rate of $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors. Children under 12 will be admitted free of charge. Tournament passes will also be available for $12 for the weekend which comes with the official program, regularly $2.
Championship Schedule:
Friday, Oct. 31
Quarter-final #1: Acadia (5th) vs. UPEI (4th), 3 p.m.
Quarter-final #2: Memorial 6th) vs. StFX (3rd), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1
Semifinal #1: Lowest Remaining Seed vs. UNB (1st), 2 p.m.
Semifinal #2: Highest Remaining Seed vs. Cape Breton (2nd), 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2
Championship Game: Semifinal #1 Winner vs. Semifinal #2 Winner, 2 p.m.
*Note: All games of the championship will be available via webcast, live at www.AUStv.ca.
Source: Memorial Sports Information