Panthers defeat Huskies 4-1 in Halifax

HALIFAX, NS- The UPEI Panthers defeated the Saint Mary's Huskies 4-1 on Sunday afternoon in front of 310 fans at Huskies Stadium, as part of Saint Mary's Homecoming weekend.

As the game started, the Huskies looked for an early goal with relentless pressure as forward Allie Martin (Halifax, NS) made a one-on-one run against Panthers goalkeeper Claudia Mazzei (Milton, ON), who denied Martin, preventing an early deficit.

The Panthers fired back immediately as Sarah Eden (Ottawa, ON) unleashed a thunderous shot in the 6^th minute, which was denied by Huskies goalkeeper Kaitlyn Alley's (Milton, On) diving effort. With lightning-fast reflexes, she rejected the blistering attempt denying the Panthers the early lead.

In the 26^th minute, a moment of sheer brilliance unfolded. At the same time, the entire stadium held its breath as Panthers forward Mia Martell (Belfast, PE) took a mighty long shot past the goalkeeper, that slightly missed the target and kissed the crossbar with a resounding thud. Recognizing the inches that separated glory from the denied goal, the entire crowd gasped.

The visitors broke through with the opening goal in the 32^nd minute, as the corner kick from Sarah Eden found Olivia Cummings (Quispamsis, NB) in the box, where she headed into the back of the net to put the Panthers up 1-0.

The Panthers followed back with relentless attack, and in the 36^th minute, Olivia Cummings made a solo run and unleashed a strong shot that was denied by Kaitlyn Alley's firm hands.

The Panthers doubled their lead in the 45^th minute as Lydia Hamill (Albany, PE) shot a long shot finding the top corner of the Huskies net and making the score 2-0 for the first half.

The Huskies were desperate to get back in the game, which was evident in their attacking efforts, but the Panthers defence held firm, denying Huskies a comeback.

The game took a dramatic turn in the 61^st minute when Cassidy Wells (Ottawa, ON) received a red card for a tackle from behind.

A ray of hope to make a comeback came in the 69^th minute as Huskies defender Alexa Ikejiani (Minesing, ON) played a pinpoint through ball to Cara Freeman (Halifax, NS), who found the back of the net, making the score 2-1.

HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ⚽️

Cara Freeman scores her eighth goal of the season in the Huskies 4-1 loss to the Panthers. pic.twitter.com/sibmXtVYr6

— Saint Mary's Huskies (@SMUHuskies) October 15, 2023

The Huskies celebrations proved to be short-lived as just after two minutes, in the 71st minute, Wendy Dadzie (Greater Accra, Ghana) unleashed a shot that found the back of the net. This exquisite strike restored the two-goal advantage for the visiting team.

Panthers solidified their victory in the stoppage time as Sarah Eden split a pair of defenders and sent a shot into the bottom right corner, making the final score 4-1.

The player of the match went to Panthers keeper Claudia Mazzei, who made nine saves in the win.

The Huskies third straight loss dropped their record to 3-7-1 on the season. They'll look to bounce back next Saturday, as the host the winless Mount Allison Mounties at 1 p.m. at Huskies Stadium.

The Panthers win brings their record to 3-5-2 on the campaign, bumping them past the Huskies into the sixth spot in the AUS standings. They'll look to continue their strong play as they visit Mount Allison on Wednesday night, with kick-off scheduled for 6 p.m. in Sackville, NB.

Recap by Samarth Behl / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics
Photos by Mona Ghiz / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics