Capers eliminate Aigles Bleus 2-1 in AUS men’s soccer semi-final
Rivals CBU and STFX to play for conference championship on Saturday afternoon
By Corey LeBlanc
Sydney, N.S. – The defending champion Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers (#1) defeated Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus (#5) 2-1 in the second semi-final match at the 2022 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Men's Soccer Championship on Thursday evening at Ness Timmons Field.
With the victory, the #1-ranked team in U SPORTS is one step closer to winning a sixth consecutive conference crown.
"It was a tough one – credit to them," Caper captain Jamie Watson (Kirkcaldy, Scotland), who scored the game-winning goal late in the contest, said after the match.
Watson – an AUS first-team all-star defender – notched the decider on a free kick from 20 yards. He ripped a strike inside the near goal post behind Moncton goalkeeper Christian Masimengo (Dieppe, NB) in the 85th minute.
He credited Moncton for their effort, considering they were coming off a hard-fought quarter-final win over the Saint Mary's Huskies last night.
In the first half, the home side came out crisply, with their first scoring chance coming off the foot of AUS first-team all-star Kairo Coore (Whitby, ON) in the ninth minute. His strike from the top of the 18-yard box was steered aside by Masimengo.
Moncton – off a header in the 15th minute – tested Caper keeper Daniel Clarke (Milton Keynes, England), but the conference first-team all-star made the stop.
A short time later – in the 20th minute – CBU second-team all-star Owen Sheppard (St. John's, NL) opened the scoring – unassisted – with a tremendous individual effort. After splitting a pair of Moncton defenders, he ripped a sizzling strike from just inside the 18-yard box that bested Masimengo to make it 1-0.
In the 28th minute, Masimengo stopped Ze Cunha (Cascais, Portugal) – off a free kick – to maintain the one-goal deficit.
Off a rush by striker Jonathan Kisse (Toronto, ON) – a second-team AUS all-star – les Aigles Bleues collected a corner kick, but they came up empty.
At halftime, the Capers led 1-0.
In the second half, Moncton – buoyed by a corner-kick opportunity in the opening seconds – started to build some momentum, as they tried to even the contest. Although they were pushing hard, the Caper defense continued to stay strong.
In the 68th minute, the visitors were rewarded for their effort, when Mohamed Lamine Touré (Moncton, NB) - a first-team conference all-star – tucked a strike inside the left post behind Clarke to make it 1-1.
Neither side could muster much offense until the Watson marker that gave the Capers their second edge of the match.
After Watson notched what turned out to be the game-winner, Moncton wouldn't give up, collecting a handful of scoring chances in the closing minutes and stoppage time. They fought the Capers until the final whistle.
Watson and Lamine Touré were the Subway players of the match for their respective teams.
Clarke made two saves for the win, while Masimengo had six stops in the loss.
CBU moves on to the AUS championship match, where they will kick off against the rival STFX X-Men on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. ADT, at Ness Timmons Field.
Noting that – in two regular-season matches – the teams tied and the Capers collected a victory, Watson suggested that the X-Men will be "coming for us."
When asked what the keys would be to winning the Capers capturing another conference title, he added, "We have to play our game and to our strengths. If we do that, we should be successful."
The battle for the 2022 men's soccer banner will be available via webcast live at www.AUStv.ca.
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