By Henry Whitfield, Sports Contributor
In front of a sold-out crowd made up of nostalgic alumni and students decked in face-paint, the Dalhousie football team made their long awaited return to Wickwire field.
Football fever was in full effect, and the stands were awash in black and gold as the rambunctious fans loudly welcomed their Tigers to the field and sounded off in appreciation for the work and effort that finally brought football back to Dalhousie.
Unlike their previous matchup that saw the teams combine for 96 points, this was a close-fought defensive battle that pitted the teams together in a classic gridiron battle.
The visitors from P.E.I quickly stormed down the field and kicker Phil Lanthier converted a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
Unable to get anything going with their offence, the Tigers turned over the ball and were unable to find answers for the lethal running game employed by their opponents, who missed their next field goal attempt but picked up a single on the play.
The Hurricane’s took a 4–0 lead into the second quarter, where they continued to pick up momentum and capped their first series with a 35-yard touchdown reception by Jeff Hillier. Trying to apply the pressure the Hurricanes attempted a two-point conversion but were stopped just short of the extra points.
The Tigers clawed back with a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, a two yard run by former all-star James Green and a reception by receiver Brendan Poupere, however the team failed to convert on their extra point attempts. Lanthier added his second field goal just before halftime, the home team now trailing 13–12 at the half, leaving those in attendance wondering where the high-flying offence had gone.
The Hurricanes picked up where they left off. Lanthier adding his third field goal and pegging his team to a 16–12 lead.
Answering back right away, Greg Pelly ran the ensuing kick-off 90-yards for the touchdown, giving his team their first lead of the evening. Pelly picked up 200 yards returning in the game and brought his kick-off return touchdown total to two.
The fourth quarter left the game open. Lanthier added a touchdown to his stat-line but despite a 23–19 lead, the Hurricanes offence stuttered and a 15-yard penalty saw the team stuck deep in their own zone with just minutes remaining. The result was a ‘Canes safety, giving the Dalhousie fans an opportunity to cheer their team onto a dramatic come-back attempt, their team trailing 23–21 with less than two minutes remaining.
However, the storybook ending was not to be, as the Tigers drove into the Hurricanes’ end, James Green fumbled the ball, ending all hope of a comeback and dropping the team to a 2–1 record. Hurricanes running back Ernesto Carranza was the key to the win, with the team moving away from the throwing game that coughed up six interceptions the previous week. He sliced apart a Dalhousie defence was unable to find an answer to his speed and creativity.
“Knowing what they’re going to throw at you and stopping it are two different things,” admitted defensive coordinator and associate head coach Scott MacLean. “We knew what was coming and we tried to limit the damage.”
“We have a team that’s full of a lot of raw talent and we’re continuing to get stronger, but it’s a learning process and we’re happy with the play so far,” continued MacLean.
The team has a two week break before they entertain the UNB Saint John Seawolves on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.
Dalhousie Gazette editor-in-chief Joel Tichinoff is on the football team, and even played a few minutes against the Hurricanes. He wasn’t happy with the loss, but he doesn’t edit any of our football articles.
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