SEASON PREVIEW: The race for AUS men’s soccer supremacy kicks off this weekend

Coaches, players predict competitive regular season

By Corey LeBlanc

The 2021 AUS men's soccer regular season will kick off this weekend.

The defending champion Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers will be shooting to repeat, while there will be plenty of varsity teams looking to dethrone them in what is expected to be a wide-open conference.

As training camp and the pre-season winds down, each program is primed to hit the pitch after an almost two-year hiatus—due to the COVID-19 global pandemic—that wiped out the 2020 campaign.

"Everyone is feeling excited and very humbled to be back playing again after the last year-and-a-half that we have had," Capers veteran defender Euan Bauld (East Lothian, U.K.) says.

Midfielder Matthew Larter (Waverley, N.S.) and his Dalhousie Tiger teammates are "anxious to get back on the field."

"We are really looking forward to it . We missed it so much," he adds.

Saint Mary's Huskies' forward Alex Black (Halifax, N.S.) agrees.

"Everyone is pretty excited," he says.

UNB Reds midfielder Matt Quigley (Conquerall Mills, N.S.) says morale is "quite high."

"It is great to be back with the boys," he adds.

UPEI fullback Colin Curran (Montague, P.E.I.) admits there is a "bit of nerves and anticipation," especially for the new Panthers.

"But, we will be ready to go," he says.

Youth and experience

With the unprecedented layoff—one that includes a lost season—programs are welcoming recruits from over a two-year period, which means most rosters boast plenty of youth.

"We are going to be young, exciting and talented," CBU head coach Deano Morley says, noting that the focus will be on "peaking at the right time."

The Capers have 17 new student-athletes on the roster.

"We have been focused on getting up to speed—re-energizing our bodies and minds," Morley notes.

In their 2019 AUS championship campaign, the Capers finished first in the regular season—with an undefeated 10-0-2 mark—and captured a bronze medal at nationals.

"We will take each game as they come, and I believe you can expect to see us pick up where we left off two years ago," Bauld predicts.

With a veteran lineup – one that has great strength down the middle – the StFX X-Men are one of the teams primed to knock CBU off the summit.

"We expect to be there when it counts," STFX head coach Graham Kennedy says.

In 2019, the X-Men – after posting a second-place 9-2-1 record in the regular season—made another appearance in the AUS title game, dropping a heartbreaking 2-0 decision to the Capers in overtime.

With the bulk of the roster returning from two years ago, Kennedy says that they would be "disappointed" if they did not garner a top-two spot in the regular season in 2021 and a coveted bye in the playoffs.

"If all goes well – and we stay healthy – I think we have a legitimate shot," he adds.

Fifth-year keeper Seamus MacDonald (Antigonish, N.S.) says his head coach's "high expectations" trickle down to the players.

"We expect to be one of the top teams in the league," he adds.

With what head coach Barry Morrison calls a "young and exciting" team, the UNB Reds are focused on bettering their third-place finish from 2019. After going 7-3-2 in the regular season, they were upset by the Panthers in a quarter-final match.

"We are pretty please with where we are at," he says, adding that they also have a "good core group of seniors."

Coming off a fourth-place finish (6-2-4) in 2019, which ended with a quarter-final loss to the rival Huskies, head coach Alan Jazic says the Tigers have "high expectations."

"We are really, really excited," he adds.

Describing it as "dynamic and energetic," Jazic notes his roster has a "good balance" of new and returning student-athletes.

A 2-0 semi-final setback to the Capers ended the 2019 campaign for the Huskies, who finished 6-5-1 in the regular season.

"Knowing what we did, how we finished the [2019] season, that'll be the minimum expectation," Saint Mary's head coach Mesut Mert says of—at least—making a return to the final four in the playoffs.

After securing the final post-season berth in 2019—with a 5-5-2 mark—UPEI upset UNB before bowing out to the X-Men in the semifinals.

With a roster that is a "little bit younger," Panther head coach Lewis Page expects some "peaks and valleys," but he says they will be "fun to watch."

"We are happy with what we have. It is an exciting group of players," Page adds.

If the Panthers return to the playoffs, he says that they will "make some noise."

"You can really surprise people. Sometimes, when you have less experience, you play a little more freely, especially in a one-off [match]," Page adds.

Speaking of the post season, the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus are one of the teams looking for a return after finishing out of the playoff picture in 2019.

"We are really excited," veteran keeper André Leblanc (Dieppe, N.B.) says.

Noting that the program has a "good young core," including newcomers not only from across Canada, but also other parts of the world, he suggests that they are primed to "exceed expectations."

"We have a mix of veterans who will be a key to helping us reach our goals," Leblanc adds.

As for the Acadia Axemen, who finished second last in 2019 with a 2-9-1 record, associate head coach Findlay MacRae expects his team to have more depth, including a "really strong" group of newcomers, along with returnees who will be "more mature, more experienced."

When asked about expectations, MacRae laughed, noting it depends on the other teams in the conference.

"Our goal is to be in the top-end of the AUS," he says, which would mean a return to the playoffs.

"And then we will build from there."

Calling 2019 a "rebuilding year," midfielder Zane Brennan (Fredericton, N.B.) says the team "wants to get back to where Acadia [soccer] has been in the past."

"There is a really good vibe and a competitive atmosphere," he adds.

Brennan notes that Acadia has added "a lot of exciting talent."

On the pitch

As for what Axemen fans can expect to see on the pitch, Brennan says "fast pace—all the time."

"I think we are going to be exciting to watch," he adds.

With quality forwards and midfielders, MacRae expects his team to have a "good attacking style."

With improved depth, he anticipates the Acadia defense to be stronger.

"We are going to be offensive minded," Leblanc says of the Moncton attack.

Considering their fire power, he adds that his team should "score a lot of goals."

When the Capers are playing well, Bauld says they will be an "exciting, attacking, front-foot football team that dominates the ball."

Morley adds that they will be, as usual, "fast paced," while focusing on attacking and ball possession.

"This could be the most dynamic [Capers] team ever assembled," he notes if its offensive prowess.

Morrison says UNB faithful can expect "exciting games."

"We will be a fun, attacking team," he adds.

Quigley says the Reds "hope to possess the ball a lot," while being "tactically versatile."

Page believes the Panthers will be "highly skilled and very good defensively."

"I think that we are going to be exciting to watch," Curran adds.

Noting that they will be a "fast team," the UPEI student-athlete says they will also be "aggressive on the ball."

Mert says the Huskies will be "decisive and aggressive, moving forward and creating chances to score."

He adds that the Huskies will focus on "knowing where we are in a given situation," whether it is protecting a lead, or having to press for goals.

"We are going to play at a fast pace," Black says, noting that it will be a style that Huskies' supporters should enjoy.

Noting that it will take a few games for players to get comfortable with each other, Larter says the Tigers will benefit greatly from their "high IQ and speed up front."

"I think we are going to be pretty strong," he added of their midfield.

When it comes to the X-Men, MacDonald was succinct.

"We are going to be ready to compete in every game," he said.

'Anything can happen'

MacDonald was equally concise when asked about StFX's goal.

"We want to win an AUS championship," he says.

Quigley said the Reds are "quietly confident" as they start their AUS season, while Black adds that his Huskies are "prepared for the challenge."

Because UPEI has several new faces, Curran suggests that "teams might overlook us."

"It is a little bit unclear," he says – not wanting to make any predictions, "but I think that we can definitely make a playoff push."

Of course – like every AUS program – Larter says the "ultimate goal" is to win a conference banner and punch their ticket to nationals, noting that none of that can happen if you don't make the post season.

"Once you make the playoffs, anything can happen," he concludes.

The defending champion Capers will host the Subway AUS Men's Soccer Championships—from Nov. 4-7—on the CBU campus in Sydney, N.S.