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Soccer Panth ers Panther loss ends

in controversy

SPORTS

sweep UNB

By Josh Lewis

The UPEI Panthers soccer pro- gram continued to roll Sunday, with both the men’s and women’s teams getting wins over the UNB Varsity Reds in Atlantic University Sport action at UPEI.

The men got goals from Phil MacDonald, Jarrod Faria and Nathan Snowie in the first half en route to a lopsided 3-0 victory.

MacDonald opened the scoring in the eleventh minute, heading in a perfect cross from rookie striker Jimmie Mayaleh from the right side.

Faria added to the lead in the thir- ty-fourth, just minutes after being subbed in, tapping the ball past keeper Matthew Lally inside the box.

Snowie got in on the action three minutes later, knocking the ball in off a corner by Paul Craig.

The Panthers kept the pressure on in the second half, but were unable to add to their lead.

Craig put a shot off the right post in the seventy-second minute and MacDonald split the uprights above the net on the rebound.

UPEI’s Bright Manu and UNB’s

By Josh Lewis

Head coach Mike Redmond admits 2007 will be a challeng- ing season for the UPEI Panthers women's soccer pro- gram.

It's hard to imagine a more dramatic loss for the team which finished runner-up at the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championship last season. The team has lost high-octane strik- ers Janelle Blanchard and Allison Frizzell, midfielder Liz McPhail, and keeper Leslie Bradshaw, as well as fifth-years Shelley Hollinger, Rachel Murphy and Gillian MacLean.

The Panthers will host the AUS championship this year, making the timing of the gradu- ations particularly painful.

Redmond says those losses will have a pronounced effect on his coaching staff's approach.

“It impacts me more than any- thing,” he said. “It means a whole new approach. Some things we took for granted in years past we can't take for

Adolphe Iraguha were sent off with nine minutes remaining after an altercation started when Manu attempted a two-footed tackle.

WOMEN

The women’s side found them- selves in a hole at halftime after goals from UNB’s Ashley McAllister in the ninth minute and Amy Vaillancourt in stoppage time gave the visitors a 2-0 lead.

They came out a different squad in the second half, however, with rookie Brandy Doiron getting the Panthers on the board in the fifty- fourth minute with her first AUS goal.

Six minutes later, Cheryl MacLeod got the home side to within one. She completed the comeback in the seventy-seventh with her second goal of the game.

McAllister and MacLeod were named players of the game for their respective teams.

The Panthers’ next action comes this weekend, with both squads playing Dalhousie in Saturday night’s Homecoming games (women at 6pm, men at 8), before hosting St. Mary’s the following day at 1 and 3.

Oct. 12, 2007

By Josh Lewis

Fans looking for an action- packed UPEI men's soccer season opener were certainly not disappointed Saturday. The

_|Panthers' 2-1 loss to the

Memorial Seahawks had a little bit of everything, and a lot of bookings.

Panther rookie Obed Amoah incited a miniature brawl late in he game after jumping from behind Memorial keeper Tyler Putt and planting a haymaker into his head. Amoah and full-

* back Dylan MacDonald were

ent off, and Putt soon joined hem after receiving his second yellow card of the match. Further disciplinary action from the Atlantic Univeristy Sport (AUS) is likely for Amoah, who was playing in his first game with the green and white. Nearly lost in the pandemoni- ae was a Spirited comeback by UPEI, which managed to find the equalizer in the 86th minute, despite being two men down. Putt's attempt to tackle Sean Aylward as he was shoot- ing resulted in his ejection and la penalty shot, which was con-

verted by rookie Nathan Snowie.

It was all for naught, however, as Panthers keeper Tim Kalinowski was caught out of his net late in injury time, allow- ing Mark MacDonald of the Seahawks to lob an easy game-winner into the mesh.

Zach Wade opened the scor- ing for the visitors in the eighth minute, beating Kalinowski on a shot that was deflected in front.

UPEI had plenty of chances to tie the game, including Amoah's shot which curled just wide of the left post at the end of the first half. Rookie striker Jimmie Mayaleh was robbed on a low screamer to the left side early in the second, while Paul Craig's penalty shot with 15 minutes remaining pounded the left post.

UPEI midfielder Colby O'Donnell was yellow-carded early in the match, as were Memorial's Wade, Justin Pickford and Corey Moore in the second half.

The Panthers will hit the road this weekend for games against UNB on Saturday and Moncton on Sunday.

Women's squad faces

uphill

granted any more.”

Redmond said they have to become really patient and demanding, but remember it's a learning process for the kids.

“The past is the past. We have to try to create our own legacy. Those kids were special though.”

However, he is optimistic the team will remain a force on the field, despite key losses at every position.

“| think we're still dangerous on offense. We still have Tessa Roche, who is one of the best players in the AUS, if not the best player. We'll be counting on Ashley Caulier, Patty Trainor and Laura Gaudet (all midfield- ers) to step up as well. They're third years and it's their team now.”

Mandy Lise McKenna becomes team captain, replac- ing Allison Frizzell.

“She's a first-class individual on and off the field,” said Redmond. “She goes about her business in a very professional manner.”

Redmond will also look to two vet students, Meghan

°

battle

MacLellan and Nikkia Stewart, for leadership. The pair are technically first-year players, but the coach said their age and previous college experi- ence essentially make them veterans on a young team.

Redmond said they also have some promising rookies, but time will tell if they can stick and make an impact. As many as 10 rookies could suit up for the Panthers this season, including Chelsie Mcinnis, a striker who has impressed the coaching staff thus far.

“She has really shown in train- ing camp that she's a different class.

“She's a great finisher and she has a good technical game. She has all the makings of an AUS all-star,” he said.

“It's a lot of new people to put in and hope.

“It'll be hit and miss,” Redmond admitted. “But the important thing to remember is that we're hosting (the AUS) this year. We're already in the © playoffs. We don't have to be good Sept. 1. We have to be good Nov. 1.”

Redmond is hopeful we'll have the same conversation in November and will have had success. “Time will tell. They're worked hard enough in camp. They've done everything I've asked them. They just have to do that on a consistent basis and realize that there aren't any days off like in club soccer or high school. We have to play and we have to fight. It's a mat- ter of building for Nov. 1.”

Redmond, who was named AUS coach of the year in 2004, said the team will stay true to its run-and-gun style, despite the turnover in personnel.

“| think we can still score goals. Something a lot of peo- ple miss is that we don't con- cede a lot either. If we defend well, we should be able to score. But we're not going to sit back and be defensive because we're young. We're going to play,” he said.

Redmond said he doesn't want the players to wait for suc- cess, and it is a message he wants to convey from day 1.

“We want to win today, not tomorrow.”