CAPERS defeat Huskies 2-1 to end regular season 

HALIFAX, NS – Cape Breton midfielder Max Piepgrass scored a pair of goals to power the CAPERS to a 2-1 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies on Saturday night at Huskies Stadium in Halifax, NS. 

Prior to the final home game of the regular season, Saint Mary's recognized five graduating seniors – goalkeeper Ryan Davis, defenders Woody Bain and Callum Corkum, midfielder Scott Firth and forward Sean Freeman – before their final game at Huskies Stadium. 

In a game with major playoff implications, the first half was a physical affair, as both teams defended aggressively. Saint Mary's received a trio of yellow cards, but were able to outchance the CAPERS 5-2 through the first 45 minutes, but neither team was able to score the go-ahead goal, and the game remained scoreless at halftime. 

The intense physicality resumed to begin the second half, with the CAPERS picking up an early yellow. CAPERS winger Harvey Hughes (Southampton, ENG) started to make his mark in the second half, making several quality runs down the left side. 

It was one of those Hughes runs that would lead to the go-ahead goal, as he won his team a throw-in and directed it towards goal, where it was cleared back to the foot of midfielder Max Piepgrass (Calgary, AB) who chested the ball down and fired a volley that curled into the top left corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. 

Just 13 minutes later, Piepgrass doubled his lead off a free-kick from 25 yards out, once again curling the ball into the top left corner to put Cape Breton ahead 2-1. 

Saint Mary's would get a goal back in added time. A free kick from defender Woody Bain (Dartmouth, NS) bounced around the box, with a shot from Callum Corkum (Camperdown, NS) being denied by CAPERS goalkeeper Daniel Clarke (Milton Keynes, ENG) before first year midfielder Drew Chisholm (Dartmouth, NS) was able to knock it in to cut the lead to 2-1. 

But that's as close as the Huskies would get, as time ran out on their comeback effort, giving the CAPERS a 2-1 victory.  

Piepgrass was named Player of the Match with a pair of goals.  

The Huskies finish the season with a 7-5-0 record, finishing as the #3 seed heading into next weekend's AUS Championship, setting up a quarterfinal match against the #6 seed UNB REDS (4-4-4) on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Fredericton, NB. 

The CAPERS finish the regular season with a 6-6-0 record, finishing as the #5 seed, setting up a quarterfinal match against the #4 seed Dalhousie Tigers (6-4-2) on Thursday. 

Recap by Allan April / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics 
Photos by Eduardo Ibarra / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics