Capers advance to Sunday's championship final with 2-1 win over X-Men

(FREDERICTON, N.B.) The Cape Breton Capers are going back to the Subway AUS Men's Soccer Championship final. 

The Capers scored twice in extra time to beat the StFX X-Men 2-1 in the second semifinal of the conference championship tournament being hosted in Fredericton. 

Cory Bent (Preston, United Kingdom) scored in the 94th and 97th minutes, before William Warren (Windsor, N.S.) brought the X-Men to within one. 

But the X-Men weren't able to tie it before the referee's whistle blew to end the match, after 120 minutes. 

"It was a close game," said Capers' captain Stuart Heath (Belfast, Ireland). "X gave us everything they had. A goal was coming in the end. It was good to see Cory break it." 

The teams played a tight game through the first 90 minutes. 

Going to extra time, the X-Men were hopeful. 

"It was a tough game. They're a tough team," said X-Men forward Natneal Tecle (Calgary, Alta.). "We battled it out. We got unlucky, they scored and then they got a second one right after, but we never gave up, we kept our heads up and we fought right until the end." 

The Capers now advance to face the top-seeded Acadia Axemen in Sunday's final at 2 p.m.

The game will be broadcast live on Bell Aliant Fibe TV, channels 1 and 401, and available via webcast at www.AUStv.ca.  

"The job's not done yet, but we've got our big foot in the final," said Heath. "Acadia's been quality all season. We owe them one, so… they beat us earlier in the season, we owe them one in the final."

As the Atlantic conference receives two berths in this year's national championship, being hosted next weekend by Guelph University, both Cape Breton and Acadia have secured a trip to nationals.

Recap and photos courtesy of Andy Campbell, UNB Athletics