ANTIGONISH, NS – The top seeds in the 2024 AUS Women's Soccer Championship, presented by Bell – the Cape Breton Capers and UNB REDS – will clash for a conference banner on Sunday afternoon at STFX Stadium in a 1 p.m. ADT kick off.
UNB punched their ticket to the championship tilt with a thrilling victory – on penalty kicks (4-2) – over the sixth-seeded and host STFX X-Women on Friday evening.
Fourth-year senior keeper Breanna Habinski (Welland, ON) – the player of the match for her squad – stoned a pair of X-Women shooters, while Helen Langrehr (Munich, GER) – the fourth kicker for the REDS – sealed the deal. Jillian Curtis (Corpus Christi, TX) tallied the third penalty-kick goal for UNB, which turned out to be the game-winner.
Instant classic
In a tightly played opening half of a match that developed into what could best be described as an instant classic, the REDS garnered the lion's share of the offensive zone possession, but they were unable to truly challenge veteran X-Women keeper Christina Gentile (Laval, QC).
UNB did generate the best early threat, in the first minute, with Curtis making a cross into the 18-yard box intended for striker Heidi Lauwerijssen (Kensington, PE), but defender Meghan Lineger (Comox, BC) intercepted and cleared away the threat.
A few minutes later, off another cross from Curtis, there was a scramble in the X-Women's zone, but the ball ended up in the hands of Gentile.
In the seventh minute, on a corner kick from Julia Currie (Sydney, NS), the stout X-Women – once again – defended and relieved the pressure.
By the midway point of the half, STFX began to impose its will on the UNB defense, starting with a nifty through ball from Brynn Jurus (Ancaster, ON) to Lauren Reid (Kanata, ON), who had split a pair of REDS, but she was unable to reach it before rolling into the possession of Habinski.
In the 28th minute, Ava Elgood (Almonte, ON) threaded the needle to Reid, who was racing down the wing, but UNB defender Aurora Hughes-Goyette (Garibaldi Highlands, BC), an AUS First Team All-Star, tracked her down and prevented a shot attempt.
A short time later, a corner kick from conference Second Team All-Star Cheyenne Bower (London, ON) – the first of the match for the X-Women – pin-balled from player to player before the UNB side cleared their 18-yard-box.
Jurus garnered a scoring chance, but – with Red defenders converging – the veteran X-Woman ran out of time and could only get a weak shot on Habinski.
In the 39th minute, Lineger of the X-Women pounded a free kick on goal but Langrehr made the defensive play.
A short time after STFX stalwart Emma Steen (Stittsville, ON), a member of the AUS Second Team, left the game with a knee injury, Elgood gave the host X-Women a 1-0 edge, on a header of a Bower free kick, in the 40th minute. The Reds cleared the re-direction, but the ball had crossed the goal line.
The Reds battled back, but came up empty on a corner kick from Currie.
In extra time, from just outside the corner of the 18-yard box, after UNB midfielder Carolina Grzesniak (Oshawa, ON), an AUS First Team All-Star, drew a foul against STFX, Langrehr snapped a strike towards the far corner, but Gentile punched the ball in making a diving stop to retain the X-Women's one-goal advantage.
After a first half with the wind at their back, STFX led 1-0 at the intermission.
Reds ramp up pressure
Early in the second half, with the wind advantage, the REDS engineered the first quality scoring chances for either side – in the 51st minute – starting with a pair of shots from Curtis that were blocked by the X-Women defenders. Currie, on a third attempt in the sequence, curled a right-footed shot just wide of the far goal post behind Gentile.
In the 58th minute, off a STFX turnover in their own end, a bouncing ball ended up on the toe of UNB striker Jillian Larose (Ottawa, ON), whose strike along the deck from 20 yards away trickled just wide of the goal post.
In the 64th minute, on a free kick from 30 yards out, Langrehr's shot went wide of the goal post on the short side behind Gentile.
On another free kick a short time later, Grzesniak teed it up for Langrehr, who whistled a blast off the X-Women's wall.
In the 71st minute, on a third free kick in a tight window of time, Grzesniak pounded it high and wide of the STFX net.
Although the REDS were carrying the play for most of the second half, they could not pot the equalizer.
Grzesniak, from 35 yards away, skipped a strike on goal in the 75th minute, but Gentile calmly corralled the bounding ball.
In the 79th minute, with the REDS continuing to push for the tying marker, Eva Pavlov (Bedford, NS) tested Gentile, who maintained her clean sheet.
In the following few minutes, STFX negated the UNB attack by exerting some offensive pressure – the most the home side was able to muster in the second half.
Curtis, with another long shot, tested Gentile, who smothered the attempt, in the 89th minute.
Seconds later, Currie with a fantastic delivery that bounced off an X-Women defender before Lauwerijssen thundered a left-footed strike over the cross bar in the 18-yard box.
In the rapidly disappearing final seconds of stoppage time, Currie cashed in for the Reds on the second of consecutive corner kicks. Her right-footed strike sailed high, clearing a pair of soaring X-Women defenders before landing in the far corner – untouched – to make it 1-1.
Occurring on the final play of regulation, it meant the sides were headed to overtime – a pair of 15-minute halves.
Extra time action
In the first extra session, the REDS continued to carry the edge, but neither side could find the back of the net.
Early in the second OT half, Rylin Matheson (Dartmouth, NS) lofted a high boot, but a pair of X-Women could not get a foot on the feed in the 18-yard box.
Moments later, Jurus found Bower but she had to reload, after the ball skipped, so her strike curled well wide of the UNB net.
The last prime opportunity of extra time came when Bower put a spin move on a defender before sending a long through ball for Jurus, but Habinski darted off her line to engulf the ball before a shot could be taken.
For the match, UNB outshot STFX 25-12, while holding an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal.
Veteran X-Women midfielder Caitlin Crichton (Ottawa, ON) received player of the game honours for her squad as the 2024 season closes on the X-Women.
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Recap courtesy Corey LeBlanc