CAPERS move into first place in win over Huskies

SYDNEY – Led by a three-goal effort from defending conference MVP Alliyah Rowe (Kitchener, ON), the Cape Breton University (CBU) CAPERS (7-0-1) scored a convincing 6-1 victory over the Saint Mary's Huskies (4-5-1) in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) women's soccer action on Sunday afternoon at Ness Timmons Soccer Field. With the victory, CBU – the only remaining undefeated side in the AUS – moved into first place in the conference standings.

In a dominant opening 25 minutes, the CAPERS jumped to a 4-0 advantage.

In the fourth minute, off a Saint Mary's turnover, CBU midfielder Grace Hannaford (Enfield, NS) – the Subway player of the match – ripped a strike behind goalkeeper Katie Alley (Milton, ON) to make it 1-0.

Alley responded a few minutes later when she made a sensational stop on a penalty kick from Alliyah Rowe.

Hannaford, with her seventh of the AUS campaign, doubled the CBU edge with another unassisted goal in the 17^th minute.

A short time later, in the 21^st minute, Ally Wilton (Bedford, NS) tucked in the rebound of a Hannaford shot to make it 3-0.

In the 25^th minute, Rowe – on a stellar through ball from Hannaford – extended the CBU lead to 4-0.

The best scoring chance for the Huskies in the first half came in the 31^st minute, when Lindy Brunelle (Keswick, ON) sailed a volley over the cross bar behind CAPER keeper Ellie Lancaster (Fall River, NS).

The CAPERS led 4-0 heading to the locker room.

Early in the second half, in the 48^th minute, the Huskies tried to mount a rally, starting with a goal off the foot of Brooklyn Salgueiro (Dartmouth, NS), who chipped a shot over Lancaster, with a defender on her back, after taking a nifty cross from Cara Freeman (Halifax, NS).

The Saint Mary's push was doused less than five minutes later, when Rowe notched her second of the match on a free kick to make it 5-1.

The Huskies could not muster much offense the rest of the way before Rowe put an exclamation point on the victory, tucking a strike along the turf inside the far goal post behind a diving Alley, who made several top-end stops in the match, despite surrendering six markers. Lauren Rowe (Conception Bay South, NL) set up her teammate's hat-trick goal. This goal marked the 70^th career goal for Alliyah Rowe.

CBU finished with 19 shots on goal, compared to two for the Huskies.

Hannaford led the CAPER attack with three points, setting the tone for the match with her back-to-back goals to start the contest.

Both teams return to action Sunday, Oct. 6, when the CAPERS host the Acadia Axewomen, while the Huskies will welcome the UPEI Panthers to Huskies Stadium in Halifax.

Game time for both match-ups is 1 p.m. ADT.

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