Menard's late header propels Reds to AUS semifinal

UNB to meet STFX for a shot at AUS gold

(SYDNEY, N.S.) – The UNB Reds edged the Dalhousie Tigers 3-2 in quarterfinal action on Thursday night at the 2023 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Men's Soccer Championship on the Cape Breton University (CBU) campus. 

Dalhousie captain Luke Berryman (Halifax, NS) had the first scoring chance of the match, but UNB freshman keeper Mahmoud Mustafa (Stratford, PE) made the save. 

In the 14th minute, Berryman – the Dal captain – took a feed from AUS Second Team All-Star Kyle Routledge (Halifax, NS), but his strike sailed over the crossbar, and it remained scoreless. 

With pressure up front, the Tigers started to cause multiple turnovers by the Reds, but they couldn't find the back of the net. 

In the 33rd minute, Dalhousie opened the scoring when sophomore midfielder Ryan McCahill (Toronto, ON) took a great pass from second-year midfielder Isaac Geyer (Saskatoon, SK) and bested Mustafa inside the right goal post to make it 1-0. 

AUS First Team All-Star Luke Rosettani (Ottawa, ON) garnered a chance in the 41st minute for the Reds, but Dal's freshman keeper Sinclair Astridge (Victoria, BC) made the diving stop. 

A short time later, in the 42nd minute, off a free kick, with UNB First Team All-Star Keji Adeniyi (London, UK) – near the far post – soaring to keep the ball alive and found Simon Bisaillon (Ottawa, ON), who poked it home to knot the contest at 1-1.  

The sides were deadlocked at halftime. 

Early in the second half, UNB came out firing, but they could not take their first advantage. 

The Reds broke the tie, on a marker in the 66th minute, when Adeniyi corralled a loose ball in the 18-yard box, put a fake on one sliding defender and then deposited a strike behind Astridge to make it 2-1. 

The gritty Tigers answered – on a penalty kick from Suliman Elomrani (Halifax, NS) – to tie the contest in the 75th minute. 

In the 81st minute, off a free kick from Jackson Purbs (Welland, ON), UNB captain Olivier Menard (Ottawa, ON) netted the game-winning goal on a header to make it 3-2. 

With the victory UNB move on to the semi-final round, where they will face the STFX X-Men – the second seed in the tournament – on Friday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. ADT, on the turf at Ness Timmons Field.  

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