2024 AUS Women's Soccer Championship: Capers ground Sea-Hawks to advance to championship final

Oct. 25, 2024

ANTIGONISH, NS – On the strength of three unanswered goals in the first half, the top-seeded Cape Breton University Capers cruised to a 4-0 victory over the Memorial Sea-Hawks (#4) in the opening semi-final match of the 2024 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Women's Soccer Championship, presented by Bell, on a blustery Friday afternoon at STFX Stadium.  

In the first half, playing with the howling wind at her back, Alliyah Rowe (Kitchener, ON) of the Capers – the three-time conference MVP – collected the first scoring chance of the match for either side, but her strike from 20 yards away sailed wide of the goalpost behind Sea-Hawks' keeper Leana Claude (Grenchen, SUI), a First Team conference All-Star. 

In the seventh minute, CBU garnered the first set-piece opportunity – a corner kick – but Makenna Bowser's (Bible Hill, NS) left-footer curled just above the crossbar and out of play.  

The Capers notched the opening goal in the 15th minute, one engineered by fifth-year senior Becca LeBlanc (Sydney, NS), who raced down the wing and feathered a picture perfect cross into the 18-yard box – a feed headed into the far corner behind Claude by Lauren Rowe (Conception Bay South, NL) to make it 1-0. 

A couple of minutes later, Memorial had a chance to knot the contest, but Ally Rowe – showing her ability on both ends of the pitch – headed away a corner kick from Kendra Schram (Brandon, MB). 

Jen Milligan (Strathroy, ON), a Second Team conference All-Star this season, tested CBU keeper Ellie Lancaster (Fall River, NS), who punched away the scoring opportunity to maintain her side's one-goal edge midway through the first half.  

In the 30th minute, wing Claire Langille (Fall River, NS) – the 2024 AUS Student-Athlete Community Service Award recipient – found AUS First Team All-Star Zoë Rowe (Conception Bay South, NL) but, before she could unleash a shot, CBU First Team All-Star Ally Wilton (Bedford, NS) made a stellar defensive play to help keep Memorial off the score sheet.  

A short time later, in the 33rd minute, AUS Second Team All-Star Grace Hannaford (Enfield, NS) finished a run into the 18-yard box by lacing a cross that Claude dove and punched away, but it ended up on the foot of Audrey Roy (Petit Rocher, NB), who punched a strike into the top corner to make it 2-0. 

The resilient Sea-Hawks attempted to answer, with Langille maneuvering her away through the Capers' defenders before feeding Milligan, whose shot at an open net was deflected away by LeBlanc to keep it a two-goal advantage for the Capers, who were undefeated in the AUS regular season.  

In the 42nd minute, off a great cross into the top of the six-yard box from LeBlanc, Roy – looking for her second consecutive marker – re-directed an attempt over the cross bar. 

Late in the 44th minute, off a sharp corner kick from Bowser, Ally Rowe – the all-time goal-scoring leader in AUS soccer history, male or female, headed a shot home to give the Capers a 3-0 margin. 

In the one minute of extra time, before the teams headed to the locker room, Memorial tried to carve into the deficit, but Lancaster made a short-side save on a strike from Zoë Rowe. 

In the second half, with the wind at their backs, the Sea-Hawks tried to mount a comeback from the three-hole deficit, but the Capers were the first to find the back of the net. 

In the 52nd minute, off a corner kick from Madalyn Hatfield (Dartmouth, NS) – and an ensuing scramble in the 18-yard box, the ball ended up on the foot of Ally Rowe. After her first shot was deflected, she reloaded and laced a stinger of a volley inside the near goal post behind Claude to make it 4-0.  

While protecting their comfortable four-goal edge, the Capers continued to press offensively, which made it challenging for the Sea-Hawks to mount any sort of an attack, even with the second-half wind advantage.  

In the 78th minute, off a free kick from distance, Zoë Rowe took a short pass before challenging Lancaster, who made an easy stop to maintain CBU's shutout. Moments later, the dangerous forward made a great cross but it didn't connect with Milligan.  

Milligan, in the 82nd minute, put a shot on goal – off a spin to elude her defender – but Lancaster made the stop and, after a bit of a juggle, collected the rebound. 

A few minutes later, Milligan made a great run down the wing before putting a cross into the 18-yard box, but her teammates could not capitalize.  

Even though the result was determined, the Sea-Hawks never gave in until the end whistle, including garnering a corner kick chance in the final seconds.   

The Capers and Sea-Hawks finished with nine shots on goal apiece.  

With the loss, the season has ended for the Sea-Hawks, while the Capers will move on to play for the 2024 AUS banner versus the winner of the second semi-final match, between the UNB Reds (#2) and host STFX X-Women (#6), on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 1 p.m. ADT, at STFX Stadium.  

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Recap courtesy Corey LeBlanc