X-Men trounce Huskies by 11-0 margin in season opener

HALIFAX, NS – X-Men midfielder Kyle Cordeiro scored a first half hat-trick in the STFX's decisive 11-0 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies on Friday's 2024 Atlantic University Sport men's soccer season opener at Huskies Stadium.

The defending AUS champion X-Men displayed their potent offence from the opening moments of the game, with several corner kick opportunities in the first three minutes, but Huskies goalkeeper Ryan Davis (Lake Loon, NS) was able to deny any scoring opportunities.

But moments later Kyle Cordeiro (Oakville, ON) – the 2023 AUS MVP – scored off a wonderful individual effort, weaving into the Huskies box and splitting two defenders before beating Davis to open the scoring.

The Huskies played the X-Men tight for the next seven minutes before a controversial and game-changing play saw Davis sent off for a direct red card following a collision with X-Men forward Samuel Barrowcliffe (Princeton, ON). On the ensuing free-kick, midfielder Logan Rieck (Cambridge, ON) beat Huskies backup keeper Francesco Rizzo (Woodbridge, ON) to double the lead to 2-0.

With the Huskies down to 10-men, the X-Men high-powered offence was unleashed, with Cordiero scoring twice more and adding as assist to midfielder Max Bodurtha (Halifax, NS), as the visitors took a 5-0 lead into halftime.

Both teams made several changes at the half, with the Huskies seeing seven different players make their AUS debut. But the story remained the same, with the X-Men midfield trio of Cordiero, Rieck and Damian DeDekker (Osgoode, ON) dominating possession and setting up their strikers frequently.

STFX would score six more tallies in the second half, led by a pair of goals by midfielder Dyan Vil (Ottawa, ON), with teammates Cameron Shaw (Ottawa, ON), Myroslav Zastavnyy (Toronto, ON), Luke Green (Fall River, NS) and Fergus Hall (Campbell River, BC) each adding one goal, as the X-Men opened the season with an 11-0 statement win.

X-Men midfielder Cordeiro was named Player of the Match, scoring three goals and adding an assist. Goalkeepers Samuel Diltz (Newmarket, ON) and Cameron Greenlaw (Dartmouth, NS) each played a half, with Diltz making a single save for the clean sheet.

For the Huskies, both goalkeepers made some tremendous saves despite the final score – Rizzo was credited with eight stops in relief of Davis, who stopped one shot.

The X-Men (1-0-0) will next take on the Dalhousie Tigers on Sunday, Sept. 8 in Antigonish, N.S., while the Huskies (0-1-0) will next look to bounce back against the Memorial Sea-Hawks on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 3:15 p.m. at Huskies Stadium. 

-30-

Recap by Allan April / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics