St. FX score, but Dal win

By Dylan Matthias, Sports Editor

Two early goals gave the Dalhousie Tigers women’s soccer team a smooth ride to victory over the visiting St. FX X-Women last Friday at Wickwire field.

Beth O’Reilly added her first AUS goal in the second half to restore a two-goal lead after Jordan Brass knocked home a goal for St. FX.

Anna McKilligan scored her first of the season in the 10th minute, running behind Victoria Penner and onto a beautiful looping high pass from Jeanette Huck before hammering it past St. FX keeper Anna Thompson.

St. FX hurt their cause in the 23rd minute when Emma Landry broke into the box, being held and falling while still managing to get the shot away. With no advantage gained from the shot, referee Richard Moses called the penalty, which Kate MacDonald smashed into the low corner for the 2–0 lead.

The Tigers have been close to impenetrable this season, giving up only two goals coming into the game. Once they were two up, St. FX were well out of it. On top of that, St. FX generated nothing that would threaten Dal all evening.

In the 65th minute, a comedy play in the Dal back line led to a rare goal against. A long cross from wide on the right bounced all the way to Brass in some space at the top of the box. Brass completely mis-hit the volley, but Dal keeper Taryn McKenna had already charged out to collect the cross and Brass’s wobbly shot flew over her head and bobbled across the goal line.

O’Reilly wasted little time in responding for Dal. Another long delivery from Huck should have been claimed easily by Thompson, but instead flew straight through the keeper’s hands and onto O’Reilly’s foot. It was the sort of play that plagued Thompson in the reverse fixture in Antigonish when St. FX gave Dal two easy goals. O’Reilly might have expected a little bit more glamourous a finish considering, her confident play this season and her ability to shoot on target from distance. Instead, she scored from roughly two yards out.

It was the third game in a row the Tigers had scored three goals in, and the third consecutive game in which St. FX had lost by more than one.