Connors carries Sea-Hawks into AUS semis

(SYDNEY, N.S) – Spurred by a natural hat-trick from Colin Connors (St. John's, NL), the fourth-seeded Memorial Sea-Hawks scored a 4-1 victory over the Saint Mary's Huskies (#5) in quarterfinal action at the 2023 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Men's Soccer Championship – presented by Bell – on Thursday afternoon at Ness Timmons Field on the Cape Breton University campus. 

Memorial defender Matt Hargest (Kitchener, ON), in the fourth minute, collected the first scoring chance of the match, but his shot – off a run – trickled wide of the far post beyond the outstretched left arm of AUS second-team all-star keeper Ryan Davis (Lake Loon, NS). 

A few minutes later, Saint Mary's conference first-team all-star Woody Bain (Dartmouth, NS) fashioned a perfect feed to sophomore forward Jalen Logue (London, ON), but his shot from inside the 18-yard box was blocked by charging Memorial keeper Louis-Charles Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, QC). 

Connors, an AUS Second Team All-Star, opened the scoring – finishing a great play started by O'Keefe – with the lead pass – and a stellar cross from Grant to make it 1-0 in the 29th minute. 

In the 39th minute – the Sea-Hawks doubled their advantage, when Connors tucked in a redirection from Troy Petrie (Winnipeg, MN). Forward Augustine Opuoro (St. John's, NL) started the three-way play with a run and cross into the box that made it 2-0. 

Late in the 40th minute, the Huskies sliced the lead in half, at 2-1, when Dunsworth bested Vaillancourt with a penalty kick. 

The Sea-Hawks led 2-1 at halftime. 

Early in the second half, in the 49th minute, Connors chased down a long ball from Petrie, split a pair of Saint Mary's defenders and put one behind Davis – inside the left goal post – to make it 3-1. 

After freshman midfielder Colton Kaizer (Chester Basin, NS) received a red card, in the 54th minute, the Huskies had to mount their rally from a two-goal deficit with only 10 players. 

Fifth-year defender Harry Carter (St. John's NL), in the 65th minute, put a stranglehold on the match for Memorial when he headed home a free kick from Brent Hennebury (Lawn, NL) to make it 4-1. 

Connors was named the player of the match. 

With the victory the Sea-Hawks move on to the semi-final round, where they will face the Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers – the top seed in the tournament – on Friday, Oct. 27, at 2 p.m. ADT (2 p.m. NDT), on the turf at Ness Timmons Field.  

-30-