Panthers' playoff hopes take hit in loss to Saint Mary's
Midfielder Colton Kaiser scored the first two goals of his AUS career, as the Huskies defeated the UPEI Panthers 3-0 on Sunday evening in front of 340 fans at Huskies Stadium.
HALIFAX, NS—Midfielder Colton Kaiser scored the first two goals of his AUS career, as the Huskies defeated the UPEI Panthers 3-0 on Sunday evening in front of 340 fans at Huskies Stadium.
The match initially unfolded as a defensive showdown, with both teams struggling to create significant and threatening offensive opportunities in the opening 20 minutes of play.
In the 21st minute, Huskies forward Sean Freeman (Halifax, NS) played a masterful through ball, finding Colby Mercer (Beaver Bank, NS) in a prime position. Mercer took a shot, but unfortunately for the Huskies, it sailed wide of the target.
Mercer would have a chance again in the 31st minute when he unleashed a thunderous long shot way outside the box that would just miss the net and hit the Panthers crossbar.
The Huskies persistent attacking efforts paid off in the 36th minute as midfielder Jalen Loague (London, ON) played a cross into the box and found Colby Mercer, who smashed the ball past Panthers goalkeeper Isaac Wolters (Springvale, PE), giving Huskies a 1-0 lead in the first half.
In the second half, the Huskies continued their relentless pressure. Sean Freeman delivered a pinpoint cross to Colby Mercer, who had a narrow miss off the goal post.
Mercer continued to pressure the Panthers defence, resulting in a goal in the 52nd minute when he delivered a pass to midfielder Colton Kaiser (Chester Basin, NS), who took a touch and smashed the bottom right corner of the net, making the score 2-0.
The Huskies would build another opportunity in the 63rd minute as Sean Freeman unleashed an impressive shot that was denied by Isaac Wolters diving effort.
In the 67th minute, Colton Kaiser showcased his exceptional skills once more, extending the Huskies lead to three goals. With remarkable precision, Kaiser fired a shot that soared into the top corner of the Panthers' net, giving Isaac Wolters no chance to make a save this time and sealing a 3-0 victory for the Huskies.
Colton Kaiser was named Player of the Game with the first two goals of his AUS career.
The Huskies win brings their record to 4-4-3, bumping them to the fourth spot in the AUS standings with 15 points. They'll finish off the season at home, as they host the Mount Allison Mounties next Saturday, Oct. 21 at 3:15 p.m. at Huskies Stadium.
The Panthers fourth straight loss dropped their record to 1-6-3 on the season. They'll look forward to bouncing back as they visit Mount Allison on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 8:15 p.m.
RECAP BY: Samarth Behl, SMU Huskies Athletics / PHOTOS BY: Mona Ghiz
