November 9, 2012

CIS women's soccer championship: Gaels on track for three-peat with win over Tigers

VICTORIA (CIS) – The reigning two-time national champion Queen’s Gaels prevailed 2-0 over the Dalhousie Tigers in the second quarter-final match up of the CIS women’s soccer championship at Victoria’s Centennial Stadium, Thursday afternoon, to advance to the semifinal round for the fourth consecutive year.

The Gaels, who received goals from Alexic McKinty and Riley Filion, will face OUA rival Ottawa in Friday’s first semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Prior to claiming back-to-back CIS titles in 2010 and 2011, Queen’s was also of the Final Four three years ago but settled for fourth place.

“It was great to get a win against a very good team,” said Dave MacDowel, head coach for the Gaels. “We took some time to adjust to the grass and the bigger surface but we scored a couple nice goals and were unlucky not to get more in the second half.”

Dalhousie was the first to generate scoring opportunities in the early minutes of the games, despite both teams struggling to settle in defensively. Third-year midfielder Lauren Landry forced two quality saves out of Queen’s keeper Madison Tyrell.

Fourth-year midfielder McKlinty put the Gaels up 1-0 in the 18^th minute with some superb individual efforts. McKlinty weaved her way through the Dalhousie back row and finished off her shot low past keeper Taryn McKenna to give the Gaels the go-ahead goal.

The Gaels settled in to control the majority of the first half possession and were unfortunate not to push their lead further, as striker Jennifer Siu put up several dangerous services from the right side. The OUA bronze medallists held their 1-0 lead entering half time.

In the second half, Filion found herself on a fast break in an effort to put the Gaels up by two but solid recovery from Dalhousie defender Samantha MacDonald kept the Gaels’ lead at one. Moments later, McKenna was called upon to make a point-blank save on all-Canadian Jackie Tessier, who was the real spark to the Gaels’ threatening offensive second half.

Filion netted the insurance marker in the 79^th minute when she tapped in a cross made by Siu from the right side of the pitch. Filion was wide open at the far post for the tap in.

The Tigers’ best chance came in the 84^th minute when a long-range shot third-year Daphne Wallace rang a shot off the cross bar.

Rookie keeper Tyrell picked up the shut for the defending champions.

“It was a tough game against a team that knocked the ball around really well today,” said Jack Hutchinson, head coach of the Tigers. “We didn’t put away our early opportunities and today we just weren’t the better team.”

The AUS champion Tigers are relegated to the consolation round, where they will meet conference rival Cape Breton Friday at 11 a.m. Dalhousie was also eliminated in the first round a year ago.

NOTE: Friday’s consolation semifinals will be re-located from Field 2 to Centennial Stadium. All semifinal games will be on Centennial Stadium.

SCORING SUMMARY
QUE: 1-1: 2
DAL: 0-0: 0

First half
QUE Alexis McClinty (1), 18th

Second half
QUE Riley Filion (1), (Jennifer Siu), 79^th

Goalkeepers:
QUE: Madison Tyrell (W, 0 GA, 4 saves, 90:00, 1-0)
DAL: Taryn McKenna (L, 2 GA, 3 saves, 90:00, 0-1)

Team stats
Shots: 13 QUE, 13 DAL
Shots on net: QUE 5, DAL 4
Corners: QUE 6 , DAL 2
Offsides: QUE 4 , DAL 1
Fouls: QUE 7 , DAL 6
Yellow cards: none
Red cards: none

Players of the game:
QUE: Alexis McKinty
DAL: Rieka Santilli

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PACIFIC TIME)

Official championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wsoc/index

Thursday, Nov. 8
11:00 Quarter-final 1: Ottawa 3 Cape Breton 1
13:30 Quarter-final 2: Queen’s 2 Dalhousie 0

16:30 Quarter-final 3: Trinity Western vs. Wilfrid Laurier (CIS-SIC.tv webcast)
19:00 Quarter-final 4: Sherbrooke vs. Victoria (CIS-SIC.tv webcast)

Friday, Nov. 9
11:00 Consolation 1: Cape Breton vs. Dalhousie (CIS-SIC.tv webcast)
13:30 Consolation 2: Loser QF 3 vs. Loser QF 4 (CIS-SIC.tv webcast)
16:30 Semifinal 1: Ottawa vs. Queen’s (CIS-SIC.tv webcast)
19:00 Semifinal 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4 (CIS-SIC.tv webcast)