Women’s soccer perched among AUS elite

Women's soccer in action, Sept. 1, 2011. Photo by Paul Balite.

Tigers deadlocked with Huskies for second

The Tigers? CIS No. 10 ranked? Who would have guessed a women’s soccer outfit who struggled with offensive production last year would be such a force this season? Who would have guessed the Tigers would have the most goals in the AUS midway through the campaign?

Surprises aside, the black and gold played on the road this past weekend, looking to pull ahead of the competition. Instead, Dalhousie was unable to distance themselves, splitting the set with a 4 – 1 victory against third place St. FX and a 2 – 1 loss to CBU, the defending champs.

Dal currently sits in second in the AUS standings, tied with rival Saint Mary’s, as the playoff race heats up. Both teams are six points behind the undefeated UPEI Panthers.

The Tigers took to the pitch late Friday afternoon to take on St. FX in a match both teams were hungry to win. The game opened with the usual back and forth midfield play until the 11th minute. Joanna Blodgett played the ball in from 25 yards out to scoresheet regular Doriana Homerski, which gave Dal the early lead.

Aggressive play continued, amounting in several notable scoring chances for both sides. Atop the list of said chances: a wide open net for St. FX. The shot was cleared away from the net after Blodgett returned to stop it. In the same minute as Blodgett’s stellar defensive play, St. FX went back to the offensive end and was not denied. Maura Woodman played the ball to scorer Stephanie Cameron, which tied the game at one apiece in the 25th minute.

Not to be outdone, the Tigers answered back almost immediately. Homerski reached the scoresheet yet again on a pass to Biannca Jakisa, who rarely misses an opportunity to get involved in the offence. Jakisa’s goal gave Dal a 2 – 1 lead.

The opening of the second half showcased no change in the Tigers. Dal captain Rieka Santilli added to the scoreboard in the 55th minute after Megan Willox lobbed the ball over the entire St. FX team directly to Santilli, who managed to avoid the offside. The Tigers captain capitalized on the breakaway, giving her team a 3 – 1 edge.

Dal managed one more tally before the end of the game; a scramble in front of the St. FX net resulted in Daphne Wallace scoring her side’s fourth.

The Tigers then played an afternoon rematch in Cape Breton on Saturday. In the previous week, Dalhousie proved superior and became the first team to score on and defeat CBU.

With clearer conditions than the week before, Cape Breton found its revenge. Setting the tone, the Capers scored two early goals, credited to Jessica Furtado and Karolyne Blain. The Tigers managed to score once, provided by Biannca Jakisa.

Like all AUS teams, the Tigers now enjoy a well-deserved Thanksgiving break. Soccer resumes for Dal on Oct. 15 when they host St. FX. The Tigers head to Acadia to play the Axewomen the following day.