In their opening match of the 2015 AUS soccer season on Saturday, the Dalhousie Tigers men’s soccer team was able to bombard the Mount Allison Mounties net for a 7-0 win.
Head coach Pat Nearing was happy with the performance of his squad.
“The guys are starting to play into our system,” said Nearing. “They’re getting belief in themselves and that’s always a great thing.”
The game was also the home opener for the Tigers at Wickwire Field and they did not disappoint in front of a solid crowd in their electric victory.
Charged by 1st team AUS all-star Bezick Evraire’s two goals and consistent tempo pushing attack the Tigers were able to capitalize on their overwhelming possession numbers to capture victory.
The match started slowly as the two squads felt each other out, bouncing the ball back and forth in the midfield for the opening minutes of the game.
The Tigers started putting some quality wing rushes together about ten minutes into the game. Evraire and 2nd team AUS all-star Jonny Doucett were pushing the pace on the left side, while captain Mark Hagen and Zach Mbolekwa ran the right side.
At the 20:00 mark of the match Mbolekwa opened the scoring for the Tigers. Evraire was able to control a loose ball just outside the six-yard box and deftly chip it over to Mbolekwa who used a diving header to deposit the ball just inside the right post barely past the outstretched mitts of Mounties keeper Mackenzie Hill. Mbolekwa drew a Yellow-card for excessive celebration after the goal.
Over the next 15 minutes the Tigers continued to own possession and Hill was forced to make a handful of incredible saves to keep the Mounties in it.
At the 36:00 mark Tigers defender Robert Engert sent a perfectly placed through-ball to Hagen running the right-wing drawing a corner.
Zach Shaffelburg drove the cross in on the set-play and Hagen was able to climb the ladder at the back post to get a header on it, popping it over to William Wright who used a header of his own to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead at the half.
The 2nd half started much the way the first half ended. Just six minutes in, Evraire took a beautiful feed form Shaffelburg up the left-wing cutting into the middle across the top of the 18-yard box sending a right foot strike back across the grain for the third Tigers goal.
Moments later Doucett picked up his first of the year. Evraire sent a Tigers corner from the left-side into the six-yard box where Doucett was waiting to knock it home.
The highlight of the match came at the 81:00 mark. Evraire displayed some incredible footwork, again cutting from the left into the middle, he chipped the ball over a Mounties defender to himself before punishing the ball with his right foot into the back of the net for his second of the afternoon.
Only three minutes after that Evraire placed a header directly on the foot of Isaiah McCullough on the edge of the six-yard box, McCullough made no mistake with the left foot for his first of the campaign.
The scoring was not finished as at the beginning of injury time Aidan Klassen found the ball on his right foot on the edge of the six-yard box and was finally able to beat Hill. The Mountie’s keeper had made some stellar saves in the second half, robbing Klassen in particular earlier in the half.
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