Smith named tournament MVP
(SYDNEY, N.S.) – On the strength of a goal from junior midfielder Brynn Jurus (Ancaster, ON), in the 80th minute, the STFX X-Women finished off a perfect conference campaign with a 2-1 victory over the host Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers in the championship match of the 2023 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Women's Soccer Championship on Sunday afternoon at Ness Timmons Field.
It is the first AUS banner for the White and Blue in women's soccer since 2016.
On the title-clinching marker, which came off a corner kick from freshman midfielder Cheyenne Bower (London, ON), Second Team All-Star, CBU junior midfielder Ally Wilton (Bedford, NS) made an initial stop on the goal line before Jurus deposited the rebound into a gaping net behind AUS First Team All-Star keeper Ellie Lancaster (Fall River, NS) to make it 2-1.
Early in the match, in the fourth minute, the X-Women garnered the best early opportunity, Tournament MVP – Amanda Smith (Ottawa, ON) lacing a free kick off the cross bar behind an outstretched arm of Lancaster.
With the X-Women carrying an edge in territorial play and ball possession, the sides headed to the locker room in a scoreless tie.
In the 59th minute, the Capers opened the scoring when regular season MVP Ally Rowe fed a cross-field pass to Wilton, who scorched a strike from 25 yards into the top corner behind X-Women keeper Christina Gentile (Laval, QC) to make it 1-0.
Just more than five minutes later – in the 65th minute – the visiting X-Women notched the equalizer when Bower knifed a sensational through ball to Smith, who avoided a charging Lancaster and then ripped a strike inside the near post to knot the contest 1-1.
After taking their first lead, the X-Women played exceptional defense, while continuing to press the Capers, and secured the crown.
STFX outshot CBU 10-5, with both keepers coming up with two saves apiece.
The AUS champion X-Women will move on to the 2023 U SPORTS Women's Soccer Championship – hosted by Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario – from Nov. 9 to 12.
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