Soccer success

It was a very successful weekend for Dalhousie soccer with both the men's and women's squads qualifying for the CIS national championships.

The men's team ran the soccer gauntlet at the AUS championship tournament in Sackville, N.B., winning three games in three days to capture their first regional championship since 1999. The number-three seeded Tigers got by Mount Allison and cross-town rival Saint Mary's before dispatching the number-one seeded UNB Varsity Reds 1-0 in the tournament finale on Sunday. Dalhousie goalkeeper Ben Ur, who gave up just one goal in three matches, was named the tournament MVP and received a $1,000 scholarship from Keith's Brewery.

The women's side had a similar road to follow. With the third seed in the women's tournament they opened the competition by defeating UPEI on penalty kicks and followed that with an inspired 2-1 win over Memorial. That victory assured their place at nationals as a wild-card team. Their third game of the weekend was a rematch of last year's AUS final against the top ranked team in Canada, Cape Breton University. Two first-half goals by the Capers sealed the Tigers fate and the second half saw Dalhousie play most of their bench players in an effort to give the reserves some valuable playoff experience and to rest the regular starters for the upcoming national championship.

The CIS championship tournaments take place November 6 through 9. The men play in Ottawa at Carleton University where they will take on Universite de Montreal in the first round. The women travel to Langley, B.C. to play at Trinity Western University where they open the tournament against Canada West champion University of Victoria.

The Tigers men's soccer team captured the AUS title on Sunday in Sackville, N.B. (Photo: Sue Seaborn, Mount Allison University)