St. FX opens AUS season with 2-1 win, as Panthers’ surge comes up short

By Thomas Becker

The UPEI Panthers made it exciting late, but quick goals in each half helped the St. FX X-Men earn their first win of the season 2-1.

Third-year defender Lewis Dye got the scoring started in the 7th minute when he put away the rebound after Panther goalkeeper Evan Couturier made a diving save on a shot by Cameron Shaw near the six-yard box.

Rookie midfielder Kyle Cordeiro proved he could score a goal even quicker after lacing a ball past Couturier just four minutes into the second half.

Panthers head coach Lewis Page said his team's youth and inexperience may have factored in the early half letdowns.

"We talked after the game about the level of intensity we had in the last 45 minutes. We need that right away, at the start of every game."

That inexperience Page speaks of played into St. FX's hands perfectly. Cordeiro, who was named the Subway Player of the Game, said his team always looks to pressure early, hoping to find those quick goals and discouraging the opposition in the process. 

"The early goal is crucial. It's just a huge mental boost for the whole squad. We get hyped up, and we go again."

St. FX's early goal was especially important because they played most of the game shorthanded. The team rallied around veteran defender Josh Read who was shown the red card and promptly ejected in the 29th minute following an exchange with the referee. Fortunately for them, the Panthers couldn't capitalize right away despite the increased pressure on the defence.

"It was tough, but we stayed together, went back in the locker room 1-0 up and said we're here for each other and we're going to win for each other," Cordeiro said.

The halftime speech clearly worked as Cordeiro came out flying and extended the lead 2-0 in the 49th minute. But the game began to shift from there. The Panthers needed to find some goals and they played with the desperate energy they needed to get back in the game.

In a preseason interview, Page mentioned his team's size and how they'll be disruptive in aerial attacks and set plays. With UPEI's relentless pressure and St. FX's defensive wall cracking, the Panthers showed off their strength and consistently won corner kicks—13 alone in the second half—and eventually broke through. In the 87th minute, Taheil Davis curled a pass toward the net where fellow rookie Samuel Akinsola tapped the ball across the goal line to make it a one-goal game.

"We said at the beginning of the year that set plays were going to be a big thing for us," Page said. "You could see that at the end of the game with all those corner kicks and chances we were creating. We're a big, strong team and we have to take advantage of that."

With time against them and all 10 X-Men protecting the 18-yard box, the Panthers did everything they could to get the equalizer, but it wasn't enough in the end.

"We have to remember this feeling we have right now," Page said. "We'll get there."

The Panthers return to action Sunday afternoon when they travel to Moncton to take on the UdeM Aigles Bleus.

Photo Credit: Janessa Hogan