CAPERS, Axewomen battle to 3-3 tie in entertaining match

SYDNEY – In a hard fought and highly entertaining contest, the host Cape Breton University (CBU) CAPERS (7-0-2) and the Acadia Axewomen (5-3-3) played to a 3-3 tie in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) action on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 6) at Ness Timmons Field; one in which CBU All-Canadian forward Alliyah Rowe (Kitchener, ON), once again, etched her name in the conference's record book. 

The fifth-year senior, who tallied twice, has 72 goals in her sensational AUS career – a mark that puts her in a tie with Ross Webb, who played for the Saint Mary's Huskies from 1978-82, for the most career goals by a student-athlete – male or female – in AUS history. 

In the opening half, the visitors stunned the home crowd on Senior Day at CBU, when Abby Girard (Dartmouth, NS) deposited a feed from Riley Bonadie (Ottawa) just 90 seconds into the match. 

In the 13th minute, off a sensational cross from Ally Wilton (Bedford, NS), Alliyah Rowe (Kitchener, ON) soared for a header but Milena Ramirez (Wolfville, NS) stoned the All-Canadian with a sensational stop from point-blank range. The defending AUS most valuable answered by poking in the rebound while laying on her back just outside the six-yard box to make it 1-1. 

Five minutes later, in the 18th minute, the Axewomen regained their one-goal advantage when CAPER goalkeeper Ellie Lancaster (Fall River, NS) got a piece of Brenna Kennedy's (Fletcher's Lake, NS) corner kick before Madyson Harris (Harmony, NS) put the rebound into the mesh for a 2-1 lead. 

In the 22nd minute, Lauren Rowe (Conception Bay South, NL) had an opportunity to knot the contest, but Ramirez made the save, after the CBU forward took a great cross from Alliyah Rowe. 

In the 37th minute, Acadia stretched their edge to 3-1, when Bonadie – on a set-up from Lauren Clarke (Dartmouth, NS) – placed a strike inside the right goal post. 

A couple of minutes later, Alliyah Rowe – the Subway player of the match – was stopped by Ramirez, after taking a pass from Leah Disipio (Ottawa, ON), who had made a great run down the wing. 

In the 42nd minute, the Capers sliced the deficit in half – at 3-2 – when Alliyah Rowe collected her record-tying second of the first half. Lauren Rowe served as the playmaker after putting a deft spin move on an Acadia defender. 

The Axewomen led 3-2 at halftime. 

Early in the second half, midfielder Ally Wilton (Bedford, NS) fed a through ball to Lauren Rowe, who laced a strike over the crossbar behind Ramirez. 

A short time later, Grace Hannaford (Enfield, NS) sprung Lauren Rowe, who sent a strike towards the far post, but Ramirez sprawled and deflected the shot wide with her right fingertips. 

The CAPERS thought they tied it when Leah Disipio headed home a corner kick, but it was negated by a foul call against CBU on Ramirez. 

Makenna Bowser tested Ramirez with her powerful left foot, but the Wolfville native stood tall and made the stop to maintain her team's one-goal advantage. 

In the 69th minute, Hannaford pounced on an errant Acadia back pass, intercepting and weaving around a charging Ramirez before tucking the ball off the far post and in to make it 3-3. 

The CAPERS controlled the territorial play the rest of the way, but they could not generate the game-winning goal, with their best chance coming after Hannaford won a battle for the ball in the 18-yard box and fed Paige Allaby (Rothesay, NB) on the near post, but the veteran's shot went just wide. 

CBU finished with a 13-6 advantage in shots on goal. Defender, Mya Harnish (Lower Sackville, NS), earned the player of the game for the Axewomen. 

To mark CBU Senior Day, the Capers women's soccer program and CBU Athletics honoured Alliyah Rowe, Ally Wilton, Paige Allaby, Becca LeBlanc (Sydney, NS) and Julia Mombourquette (Sydney, NS), who were playing in their final home matches.   

The CAPERS will return to the pitch on Wednesday, Oct. 9, when they travel to Antigonish to face the defending AUS champion STFX X-Women at STFX Stadium, while the Axewomen will host the UPEI Panthers on Friday, Oct. 18, in Wolfville. 

Game time for both match-ups is 5 p.m. ADT. 

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