Panthers erupt for five second half goals in 5-1 win over Moncton

By Thomas Becker

The UPEI Panthers earned their first win of the season Friday night after scoring five unanswered goals in the second half to down the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues 5-1. 

Rookie striker Emily Cormier (Charlottetown, PE) and third-year winger Braylan MacEachern (Murray River, PE) led the charge, scoring two goals each. 

MacEachern said the team has been waiting for a breakout game like this and hopes it can lead to a big run in the season's final five games.

"It feels amazing to get that first win, and I think it will fuel us the rest of the way," she said.

Before the Panthers (1-4-2) took over the game, it was the Aigles Bleues (0-7-0) who came out as the aggressors. A missed header by a UPEI defender allowed Audrey Ward (Ottawa, ON) to get in the box, where she fired a low shot just wide of the post for an early chance. 

Katarina Laevski (Campbellton, NB) came in as an injury replacement and made an immediate impact. In the 23rd minute, Alexandra Roy's (Shediac Bridge, NB) free kick from half went untouched to Laevski, who chipped a shot over goalkeeper Claudia Mazzei (Milton, ON) for the game's opening goal. 

The second half was a different story, as the Panthers came out of the break determined to get the win, and they did most of the damage in a span of seven minutes.

In the 50th minute, Cormier—a halftime substitute—got hold of a corner kick and rattled a shot off the crossbar, but the ball went straight down and crossed the goal line for the equalizer. 

Four and half minutes later, Cormier took a bouncing ball with her head and split the defence before skipping a shot past the keeper for her second goal of the game.

"I saw that some of our heads were down after that one goal, so I wanted to build that confidence back up at halftime," Cormier said of her halftime mindset. "As a substitute, I wanted to be that fresh player coming in trying to score goals." 

The Panthers continued to blitz the Moncton defence and were rewarded for it in the 57th minute. After Patrycia Kozak (Mississauga, ON) fired a shot off the hands of the diving keeper, MacEachern was there to put away the rebound to make it 3-1. 

MacEachern was at it again in the 72nd minute when the winger tapped home another rebound after Caitlyn McCloskey's shot ricocheted off the crossbar.

Cormier had a chance to record a hat trick in extra time, but when the keeper saved her low shot, teammate Lydia Hamill (Albany, PE) finished the play for her first AUS goal and the 5-1 win.

The Panthers take on the Cape Breton Capers at home Sunday afternoon, while the Aigle Bleues return home to battle the Dalhousie Tigers.

Photo Credit: Mike Needham