Antigonish, NS - On Sunday afternoon the StFX X-Men shutout the UNB Reds 2-0 on the strength of two first half goals. It was the their second win of the weekend.
In a spirited affair, the X-Men carried the play for most of the match and their sustained pressure led to two hard earned goals. The opening goal came from the penalty shot via the golden boot of Dan Hayfield (Exeter, UK). A penalty was awarded when a Ben Herringer (Calgary, AB) found the hand of a UNB player and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. UNB keeper, Evan Barker (Winnipeg, MB) guessed right, but Hayfield's hard and accurate shot gave him no chance for the save.
The X-Men's second goal came off the experienced boot of Tane Cabo (London, UK) in the 41st minute. StFX full back Blake Fenton (Halifax, NS) made a darting run and found his way into the 18-yard box. His shot was well saved by Barker, but the rebound went straight to Cabo, who coolly placed the ball into the net.
The second half saw the X-Men keep their composure on the ball as UNB went in search of their first goal of the match. Both coaches went to the bench for fresh legs, and while the game opened-up slightly, neither team seemed overly likely to score.
While all players performed admirably on the day, special mention must go to the two number nines; UNB's striker Dan Walker (Fredericton, NB) and StFX's Herringer, who worked extremely hard both on and off the ball. On offence, they displayed a soft touch, held up the ball well, and looked a danger to score when in the box. When not in possession, they were a presence in their own half and put the opposing defenders under pressure, making it difficult for the defenders to make a timely outlet pass either to the midfielders or to find players further up the field.
The player of the game for UNB was awarded to Luis Garcia (San Antonio, TX), while the Subway Player of the Game was StFX's Tane Cabo.
Next up on the AUS schedule see the Reds hosting the Dalhousie Tigers on Saturday, September 15th in Fredericton.
The X-Men will be back in action Friday night, September 14th when they host the Cape Breton Capers in a 7:15 pm game.
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Courtesy Bart Sears, StFX Sports Information