SYDNEY, N.S. — The Cape Breton Capers men's soccer team is heading back to the Atlantic University Sport final.
The No. 1 seed Capers blanked the No. 5 seed Saint Mary's Huskies 2-0 in AUS semifinal action at the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex on the Cape Breton University campus Friday, advancing to their sixth consecutive league championship match.
Charlie Waters and Cory Bent found the back of the net for the Capers, who finished the regular season last week with an undefeated 10-0-2 record.
Ben Jackson stopped the lone shot he faced in the contest for the shutout. Jensen Brown turned aside eight of 10 shots for the Huskies, who returned to the AUS tournament for the first time in six years.
High winds caused challenges for both teams throughout the game.
Cape Breton was against the wind in the first half, but managed to generate scoring chances despite not finding the back of the net. Meanwhile, the Huskies didn't take advantage of the wind as the game remained scoreless at the half.
"It was a tough game, I think the wind pretty much killed the game for both teams," said Waters, a native of England. "Anytime the ball was off the ground it was challenging — we managed it well and we didn't really concede any chances to them."
Waters opened the scoring for Cape Breton early in the second half with his first of the playoffs in the 45th-minute.
The Capers added to the lead 10 minutes later in the 55th-minute with Bent chipping home his first of the playoffs, a goal which seemed to take the life out of the Halifax-based team.
"We came out and we had a game plan," said Bent. "We wanted the wind in the first half, but we didn't get it, but our game plan didn't change and I think everyone went out as a unit and we played our game."
Saint Mary's advanced to the semifinal after beating the Dalhousie Tigers 2-1 in overtime in the quarter-final on Thursday. As for the Capers, they earned a bye to the semifinal after finishing in first place in the regular season.
The Capers will face the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in the championship match on Sunday. Game time is 4 p.m. at the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex.
Bent said the plan doesn't change heading into the game against the X-Men.
"It stays the same for us," said the fourth-year forward. "We try to make teams adjust to us instead of us adjusting to them. We have the talent that we can beat anyone — we have to go out there and take care of business."
The X-Men advanced to the championship game with a 3-1 win over the Prince Edward Island Panthers in the semifinals on Friday.
Dan Hayfield, Tane Caubo and an P.E.I. own goal were the offense for the Antigonish-based university.
Cohen Reddick-Steven had the Panther's lone goal.
Seamus MacDonald made two saves for StFX. Brett Straba stopepd seven of 10 shots in the loss for P.E.I.
As for Sunday's game, Cape Breton won the season series with St. Francis Xavier 1-0. The Capers defeated the X-Men 3-1 on Oct. 18 in Sydney.
Twitter: @CBPost_Jeremy
