Dal football secures homecoming victory

Dal hands Saint John their first loss of the season (Photo by Chris Parent)

The Dalhousie Tigers football club gave a boost to the homecoming fans with a 14-7 win on Saturday, Oct. 5 against the visiting University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves.

The first quarter was a tug-of-war, with both teams pressing and defending hard. It looked like neither team was going to push through to the touchdown, with turnovers mounting on both sides.

After a scoreless first quarter, the game livened up when the Tigers intercepted the ball at the Saint John 45-yard line. The Tigers pushed the Seawolves back to the 15-yard line, however the Saint John defenders held firm and were able to push the Tigers back to the 20-yard line by fourth down. With one last play left in the second quarter, Dal took to the punt and secured a single point as the first half ended; a call that was not confirmed until after halftime, leaving players and spectators equally puzzled.

With the opening kickoff of the second half, Dal was able to push the ball to Saint John’s 25-yard line, eventually securing a touchdown and a 7-0 lead over the Seawolves. However, they were unable to secure the extra point from the kick.

Soon after, Saint John rebounded with a touchdown of their own, running it in from the five-yard line with six minutes left in the quarter.

The Tigers would pull ahead inside the three-minute warning of the fourth quarter to lead 14-7. As the team tried to run out the clock to secure the win, the visiting Seawolves attempted to spoil the homecoming party. With 29 seconds left on the clock, the Tigers’ Graham Felix came up with a clutch interception to quell the Saint John comeback.

The Tigers, currently tied for first place with UNB Saint John at 3-1, will look to extend their winning streak to three as they take on the UNB Fredericton Red Bombers on Oct. 12. The defending champion Red Bombers will look to avenge their opening week loss and improve on their 1-3 record.