(SYDNEY, N.S.) With a dominating performance on Sunday afternoon—on home turf—the U SPORTS no. 1-ranked Cape Breton University Capers captured the 2021 Subway AUS Men’s Soccer Championship, presented by Bell, with a 4-0 victory over the Saint Mary’s Huskies.
It is the fifth consecutive conference crown for the CBU men’s program.
“We worked really hard for this,” AUS most valuable player Charlie Waters (Blackpool, UK) said in a post-match interview, while crediting the rival Huskies for their effort. “We have had some battles with them this season.”
In the opening seconds of the first half, the Huskies created a scoring opportunity, but a deep cross from Sean Freeman (Halifax, N.S.) was cleared from harm’s way by the CBU defense. In the fifth minute, conference first-team all-star defender Euan Bauld (Musselburgh, UK) put away a rebound off a free kick from Waters, but the goal was negated by a Caper offside.
AUS first-team all-star and league-leading scorer in the regular season—Kairo Coore (Whitby, ON)—garnered his first scoring opportunity, but Saint Mary’s goaltender Jensen Brown (Enfield, N.S.) lunged to his left to make a save on the short side.
In the 20th minute, off one of the Capers’ five first-half corner kicks, Bauld dribbled a header just wide of the goal post. Moments later, after freshman midfielder Mateo Goldsztein (Winnipeg, MB) forced a turnover, he made a run and sent a nifty through ball to Coore, who left-footed a cross to Waters, but Brown slid out to challenge and made a great stop.
In the 30th minute, on the counter attack off a Saint Mary’s free kick, Waters sent Coore in alone, who hit the outside of the net with his shot attempt, as a defender charged after him.
Early in the second half—on goals from Waters and de Cunha six minutes apart—the Capers took a 3-0 advantage and control of the championship tilt.
De Cunha sent in Waters alone, who was able to finally solve Brown—after the SMU keeper stoned him a couple times earlier, while the conference’s top rookie deposited a rebound into a gaping cage off the rebound of a Waters free kick. Brown—the Subway player of the game for his team—dove to his left to stop the initial strike.
“Over the moon,” Waters offered, when asked about his goal in the final match.
In the 76th minute, Coore—who was named tournament MVP—finished the scoring with his fourth of the weekend.
“We have 18 new boys,” Waters offered, when asked about some early struggles this season for the pre-season no. 1-ranked team in the nation. As they gelled the Capers began to peak late in the regular season and they carried that momentum into this weekend’s championship tournament.
“We want to continue that at nationals,” Waters said of their quality play.
He noted the goal is to bring home the second U SPORTS championship banner in the history of CBU’s men’s soccer program.
The Capers and Huskies will compete in the 2021 U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championships—from Nov. 18 to 21—which will be hosted by Carleton University in Ottawa.
Recap courtesy of Corey LeBlanc / CBU