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      UPEI:
      AUS
      Soccer
      Champs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Panthers
      here,
      panthers
      there,
     
     
      panthers
      every
      fucking
      where!!!"
     
     
      Shouts
      went
      up
      in
      the
      locker
      room
      of
     
     
      the
      UPEI
      men's
      soccer
      team
      after
      their
     
     
      2-1
      victory
      over
      Dalhousie
      to
      win
      the
     
     
      AUS
      Championship.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      a
      thrilling
      weekend,
     
     
      which
      began
      on
      Saturday
      as
      the
     
     
      Panthers
      played
      the
      Saint
      Mary's
     
     
      Huskies
      in
      the
      semifinals.
      The
      game
     
     
      began
      with
      some
      quickness,
      but
      as
      the
     
     
      first
      half
      went
      on
      the
      teams
      got
      into
      a
     
     
      battle
      in
      the
      centre
      third
      of
      the
      field,
     
     
      and
      both
      teams
      had
      very
      few
      chances
     
     
      to
      score.
      Starting
      the
      second
      half
      with
     
     
      a
      0-0
      tie
      the
      team
      began
      to
      push
      a
      little
     
     
      harder,
      and
      before
      you
      knew
      it,
      the
     
     
      Panthers
      were
      able
      to
      break
      the
      dead-
     
     
      lock,
      as
      Brett
      Norton
      made
      a
      hard
      pass
     
     
      to
      Patrick
      O'Connell,
      who
      dummied
     
     
      the
      ball,
      which
      was
      picked
      up
      by
      Matt
     
     
      Thomson.
      Once
      Matty
      T
      got
      the
      ball
     
     
      inside
      the
      18-yard
      box,
      he
      shot
      it
      under
     
     
      the
      SMU
      goalie's
      arm,
      off
      the
      post,
      and
     
     
      nothing
      but
      net!
      Saint
      Mary's
      did
      their
     
     
      best
      to
      get
      back
      in
      the
      game,
      but
      were
     
     
      unable
      to
      get
      anything
      past
      UPEI's
     
     
      goalie,
      Mark
      Gardiner,
      who
      made
     
     
      some
      of
      the
      most
      amazing
      saves
      I've
     
     
      ever
      seen.
     
    

    
     
      On
      Sunday,
      the
      team
      not
      only
     
     
      had
      to
      face
      a
      tough
      opponent
      in
      the
     
     
      Dalhousie
      Tigers,
      but
      they
      also
      had
      to
     
     
      fight
      freezing
      winds,
      coritinuous
      snow,
     
     
      and
      an
      icy
      field.
      The
      conditions
      were
     
     
      more
      suitable
      for
      hockey
      than
      soccer,
     
     
      but
      the
      two
      teams
      took
      to
      the
      field
      to
     
     
      battle
      for
      AUS
      supremacy.
      The
      teams
     
     
      went
      back
      and
      forth
      in
      the
      early
      going
     
     
      of
      the
      game,
      and
      chances
      seemed
      to
      be
     
     
      everywhere.
      The
      large
      crowd
      of
      fans
     
     
      shook
      in
      their
      blankets,
      or
      snowsuits,
     
     
      as
      they
      watched
      both
      teams
      run
      around
     
     
      sliding
      in
      the
      snow,
      with
      shorts
      on.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      Dal
      who
      drew
      first
     
     
      blood,
      but
      before
      the
      half
      was
      over
      the
     
     
      Panthers
      were
      able
      to
      tie
      up
      the
      score
     
     
      when
      Ryan
      Anstey
      scored
      after
      a
      mad
     
     
      scramble
      in
      the
      six-yard
      box.
      The
      sec-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [18]
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ond
      half
      was
      a
      hard-fought
      affair
      that
     
     
      had
      no
      scoring,
      but
      a
      lot
      of
      hard
      tack-
     
     
      les
      and
      timely
      defence.
      So
      with
      90
     
     
      minutes
      of
      soccer
      played,
      the
      game
     
     
      went
      to
      overtime;
      a
      golden
      goal
      for
      the
     
     
      AUS
      Championship.
      You
      could
      see
      the
     
     
      tension
      on
      the
      field,
      or
      maybe
      it
      was
      _
     
     
      just
      the
      snow,
      but
      both
      seemed
      to
      mag-
     
     
      ically
      disappear
      as
      Matt
      Thomson
     
     
      once
      more
      found
      the
      back
      of
      the
      net,
     
     
      to
      win
      the
      game,
      and
      the
     
     
      Championship
      for
      the
      men's
      soccer
     
     
      team.
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      end
      no
      one
      cared
      about
     
     
      the
      cold
      weather,
      because
      WE'RE
      #
      1,
     
     
      and
      that's
      all
      that
      matters.
      There
      were
     
     
      many
      cheers
      of
      celebration
      in
      the
     
     
      men's
      locker
      room
      (please
      refer
      to
      the
     
     
      first
      line
      of
      this
      article
      for
      an
      exam-
     
     
      ple),
      but
      the
      biggest
      cheer
      was
      saved
     
     
      for
      the
      team's
      coach,
      Lewis
      Page,
      who
     
     
      has
      done
      an
      amazing
      job
      making
      sure
     
     
      that
      he
      and
      the
      team
      are
      prepared
      for
     
     
      every
      game
      that
      they
      play.
      The
      men's
     
     
      soccer
      team
      has
      had
      a
      lot
      of
      success
     
     
      this
      year,
      and
      any
      player
      you
      talk
      to
     
     
      would
      agree
      that
      they
      everything
      to
     
     
      Lewis.
     
    

    
     
      The
      men's
      soccer
      team
      knows
      ©
     
     
      they
      are
      not
      done
      yet,
      as
      their
      focus
     
     
      begins
      to
      shift
      to
      the
      CIS
     
     
      Championships
      at
      Carleton
      University.
     
     
      This
      team
      is
      really
      hungry
      for
      more
     
     
      soccer,
      and
      while
      winning
      an
      AUS
      tit-
     
     
      tle
      was
      a
      great
      accomplishment,
      this
      -
     
     
      group
      of
      athletes
      doesn't
      want
      just
      be
     
     
      at
      the
      CIS
      Championship,
      they
      want
      to
     
     
      win
      it.
      The
      Panthers
      will
      play
      McGill
     
     
      University
      on
      Thursday,
      and
      the
      host
     
     
      team,
      Carleton
      on
      Saturday.
      The
     
     
      bronze
      and
      gold
      medal
      games
      are
      on
     
     
      Sunday,
      and
      if
      this
      weekend
      is
      a
      sign
     
     
      for
      anything,
      then
      I
      would
      have
      to
      say
     
     
      that
      neither
      wind,
      nor
      snow,
      nor
      the
     
     
      opposing
      team
      can
      stop
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      men's
      soccer
      team
      from
      being
      in
      that
     
     
      gold
      medal
      game.
      Best
      of
      luck
      guys,
     
     
      and
      give
      ‘im
      hell.