MSOC: CAPERS to Play in U Sports National Final
The Cape Breton Capers’ dream season continues as the No.1-ranked team in the nation will play for the 2017 U SPORTS Respect Group Men’s Soccer Championship.
Nov. 10, 2017
KAMLOOPS, B.C. (U SPORTS) – The Cape Breton Capers' dream season continues as the No.1-ranked team in the nation will play for the 2017 U SPORTS Respect Group Men's Soccer Championship.
The Capers needed a pair of goals in overtime to beat the host Thompson Rivers WolfPack 4-2.
Championship Schedule & Results
With over 1,000 fans packed into Hillside Stadium, the top-ranked Capers silenced the crowd early. Just over a minute in, U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian Cory Bent took advantage of a miscue by WolfPack defender Josh Banton, stealing the ball and blasting it low left side by TRU keeper Allan Connor.
The WolfPack would respond in the 11th minute when Banton took a ball down in front of the Capers net. In a scramble, the ball wound up on the foot of two-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian Ryan Glanville. The 33-year-old native of Williams Lake, B.C., made no mistake, finding the open net on the left side of Cape Breton's Ben Jackson.
That first goal was scored on a set piece and TRU took the lead in the 20th minute on a similar play. Canada West Player of the Year and U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian Mitchell Popadynetz took a corner kick, which wound up on the right foot of James Fraser, who one-timed it for his fifth goal of the postseason and a 2-1 lead at the half
In the second half, the Capers tied it up in the 53rd minute, thanks to the speed of Caelan Budhoo who started it off with a run down the left side. When he reached the goal line, he centered it for Stuart Heath, who one-timed it past Connor.
In extra time, Cape Breton capitalized on a set piece of their own. Four minutes into the first extra period, Budhoo took a corner kick and it was converted by Health for his second of the match.
Then, in the 12th minute of the first OT, Charlie Waters converted on a free kick - his third marker of the national tournament - eluding Connor as Waters beat the TRU keeper on the lower right side.
"That was just fantastic," said Capers coach Dean Morley on the victory. "Just loved the passion of the crowd, the energy and the commitment of all the players. We got the early goal and then they got one back and the fans were pumped up. It was great to experience. I think the TRU players fed off that and put two goals in."
Despite the loss, both coaches felt TRU's showing has put the program on the national map.
"(There is) so much for the athletic director, the coach, the players and the community to look forward to here," Morley said of the WolfPack's development. "They knocked York out last night, they took the No.1 team in the country to double overtime. Holy smokes, if this is just the beginning, they are going places."
The Capers will meet the Montreal Carabins in Sunday's gold medal game at 6 p.m. AST/2 p.m. PT.
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH:
THOMPSON RIVERS: Mitchell Popadynetz
CAPE BRETON: Caelan Budhoo