Golden season for CBU Athletics

By Corey LeBlanc

SYDNEY – On an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon in mid-November, Jacob Spizzirri brought a partisan crowd of more than 1,000 fans to its collective feet at Ness Timmons Field when he scored what turned out to be a national championship-clinching marker.

With a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Montréal Carabins, the sophomore midfielder and his Cape Breton University (CBU) CAPERS men's soccer teammates captured the 2024 U SPORTS crown – the second one in program history.  

It served as the highest of highs in a CBU Athletics varsity season that also featured memorable, if not record-breaking, performances.

"It was a season that we will cherish forever – a journey that I hope the players never forget," CBU men's soccer head coach Deano Morley said.

The campaign kicked off with a training camp trip to England, where CAPER student-athletes were coached by World Cup legends, watched the top teams from Europe play and got to test their talent against professional clubs.

"It gave us the championship platform we could build on," he added.

Even though they entered the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) campaign shooting for a conference record seventh consecutive men's soccer crown, Morley noted that the Capers "could have easily looked beyond the season" and been distracted by knowing that they were hosting the national championship tournament.

"I am proud that we were focused on the task at hand and attacked every training session and game with purpose," Morley said.

That helped them reach their goals of finishing first in the AUS regular season (9-0-3) and securing a playoff bye.

"We ran into a small speed bump losing the AUS final (2-0 to the rival STFX X-Men) on a very interesting officiating day; but, again that only made us stronger, more focused, more determined and more together," Morley explained.

"We became ruthless heading into nationals. When everyone wrote us off, we showed what it means to be a CAPER."

The golden victory, for an electrified audience that included more than 100 program alumni, also marked the seventh consecutive appearance in a semi-final or championship match for the national powerhouse; not to mention its fifth medal earned on the USPORTS stage.

"We won a national championship with mainly young Canadian content," Morley noted of a CBU roster that featured 20 Canadians and six international student-athletes.

Striker Owen Sheppard was named MVP for the national championship tournament, and team captain Zé Cunha – in his final varsity campaign – fashioned 1^st team All-Canadian status.

Sheppard, a native of St. John's, Newfoundland, became the third Caper in the six-year history of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) entry draft to be selected with the top pick. Goalkeeper Daniel Clarke (fifth, Halifax Wanderers) and midfielder Jason Hartill (12^th, York United FC) were also selected in 2024.

For the AUS season, Sheppard, Cunha, Clarke and midfielder Max Piepgrass were named 1^st team all-stars, while freshman Hartill garnered a spot on the second team.

One of the CBU student-athletes that reached the summit – New Waterford native Conor Chiasson – has been around the men's program all of his life. His father, the late Robbie Chiasson, was integral to establishing the CAPERS as national championship contenders during his tenure as head coach.

"The highlight of the season must be the community connection – the work that the players put in behind the scenes to volunteer, run elementary soccer leagues, coach local teams and support Soccer Cape Breton that was highlighted by the mass turnout of children, youth and families when we hosted the national championship tournament," Morley said.

He added, "The atmosphere, the support and the love we felt that week will inspire us for a long time to come." 

Top 'Rowe' season

After a historic record-setting performance – a season for the ages – CBU women's striker Alliyah Rowe joined the CAPER men in the national soccer spotlight.

The junior striker from Kitchener, Ontario crushed the AUS mark for season and career goals by a female varsity soccer player.

The back-to-back AUS most valuable player led the conference – and U SPORTS – with 25 regular season goals, which shattered the mark held by former CBU star forward Dr. Karolyn (Blain) MacDonell (16).

Rowe established a new AUS single-game standard on the strength of twice tallying six goals in a match, breaking the record held by former UPEI Panther Tessa Roche (five) since 2005.

And, in only four seasons, the 1^st team All-Canadian also became the AUS all-time goal scoring leader, with 56, also overtaking MacDonell – who donned Caper orange from 2011 to 2015 – and her 53-goal mark set over five varsity seasons.

CBU also received high-calibre seasons from freshman goalkeeper Ellie Lancaster – a 1^st team AUS all-star and All-Canadian, who also made the U SPORTS all-rookie squad – and Grace Hannaford, a 1^st team conference all-star and 2^nd team All-Canadian. Ally Wilton also earned a place on the conference's second team.

"We had a terrific year with a lot of accomplishments," CBU head coach Stephen "Ness" Timmons said.

After fashioning a second-place finish in the AUS regular season – with a 10-1-1 mark – the Capers dropped a heartbreaking and hard-fought 2-1 decision to the rival STFX X-Women in the conference championship match.

"With half the team putting on the jersey for the first time, we came a long way together," Timmons offered.

He added, "It was a disappointing end for the team in the final, but that will only make us more determined and stronger going forward."

'Great young core'

Speaking of youth – and its development – that serves as one of the focal points for CBU men's basketball program that narrowly missed the post-season, finishing with a 9-11 record in a closely contested conference regular campaign.

"In a year marked by parity in the AUS, we are disappointed with the end result," CAPER head coach Matt Skinn said of their seventh-place finish.

Nevertheless, he added, "We had some great wins, as a group, and we feel that we have a great young core to build around for the future. We are excited, and will be ready for the season ahead."

One of those young student-athletes – Aaron Cunningham – garnered a spot on the AUS all-rookie team.

CAPER newcomer Shak Pryce – a dynamic guard with experience – earned a conference second-team all-star nod. He was one of the top scorers in the nation.

Sydney native Mitchell Mersereau left his mark on and off the court, collecting the AUS Student-Athlete Community Service Award, which recognizes excellence not only on the court and in the classroom, but also as a community leader.

Veteran forward Tyson Cato, another all-around student-athlete on the CBU roster, "competed at an all-star level," according to Skinn.

He explained that "our leaders will remain at the forefront moving forward," highlighted by the trio of Cato, Mersereau and Pryce.

"We expect all of these players to improve, and lead the program on and off the court in the future," Skinn added.

The former CBU student-athlete also praised the CAPER faithful for their support.

"We thank our fans who contributed to the best home-court advantage in the league this season. Every game was full, and we look forward to the continued support of our community and Cape Breton Island," Skinn said.

'Ups and downs'

When it comes to the CBU women's basketball program, the AUS season also ended without a playoff berth.

"It was a year of ups and downs – one with a lot of lessons in resiliency," CAPER head coach Fabian McKenzie said of the campaign that resulted in a 7-13 mark.

He added "While battling injuries and inconsistency," there were highlights, including knocking off a pair of U SPORTS top-10 teams (Saint Mary's Huskies and UNB Reds) on their home court at the Sullivan Fieldhouse.

Junior forward Kiyara Letlow, who averaged a double-double this season, showed her "continued dominance in the paint," according to McKenzie," while guard Chermensa van la Parra "emerged" and played at an "all-star level."

"Those are a couple of our positive signs for a brighter 2024-25 season," McKenzie said.

Making strides

A pair of CBU track and field student-athletes reached the podium in February as the growing program made its fourth consecutive appearance at the AUS conference championships.

Freshman Jesil Okoye captured silver in the men's triple jump, while veteran Faustina Amoako garnered bronze in the weight throw.

"We are so proud of what they accomplished," CBU head coach John Hudec said of the duo.

Along with the medal victories, CBU collected a handful of fourth-place finishes, including the men's 4X200m relay team of Charles Egwuagu, Tejvir Grewal, Dinesh Bisht and Brandon Penny. Jonathan Amobi raced to fourth in the 60m men's final, while Favour Akachukwu earned the same place on the women's side. David Solanke finished fourth in the high and long jumps.

"We did quite well," Hudec said of the 14-athlete contingent that represented the university.

The women and men improved their finishes from last season, collecting 11 and 19 points, respectively.

Hudec added, as they continue to build the program, "We think that the future is bright."

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