Blain back on track
Karolyne Blain had a dream rookie season in 2011, earning all-Canadian honours and was named the Atlantic University Sport rookie of the year after tallying 13 goals. The 2012 season was a different story. The speedy, five-foot striker battled both ankle and hamstring injuries that limited her time on the pitch.
But Blain is back in top form so far in 2013. She leads the Atlantic University Sport conference with five goals in her team's first five games, and will look to keep the ball rolling on Friday when CBU hosts St. Francis Xavier University.
"I feel like sitting out so much last year made me miss the game and it made me hungrier coming into this season," said the 20-year-old from Copper Cliff, Ont. "It is really motivating to try and top what I did in my first year. I feel like I have expectations to meet and exceed, so it's definitely motivating."
The Capers women are unbeaten on the season with a 2-0-3 mark, but the club had scored only six goals in their first four games of the season and was looking for an offensive breakthrough. That outburst came on Saturday, when they routed the Saint Mary's Huskies 9-0 at home. Blain netted a hat trick in the triumph.
The CBU women will try to keep the X-Women (2-2-3) at bay in the standings. They trail the Capers by a single point.
"We have so much speed and I think it's really good," said Blain. "We have similar playing styles, so we can play off of each other."