Halifax, NS – The top seeded St. Thomas University Tommies dispatched the UNBSJ Seawolves 4-1 in the first game of the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Championship draw.
Leading into the game the Tommies were without ACAA Rookie of the Year and 1st Team All-Star Evan Rees who was missing due to accumulation of yellow cards from the regular season, while the Seawolves were without 1st Team All-Star Nick Ellingwood for undisclosed reasons.
Veteran Ryan MacKinnon (Fredericton, NB) slid into the centerback role left by Rees.
"Luckily we have some depth this year, which hasn't always been the case," said Tommies' head coach, John-Ryan Morrison, this year's recipient of the ACAA Coach of the Year. "Ryan has played centerback at CCAA Nationals and Senior A Nationals, so I wasn't too worried there."
ACAA Player of the Year Brett Springer (Bamberg, ON) showed why he was given that honour by scoring three first half goals for the Tommies.
Springer started the scoring in the 14th minute after Josh Oakes (Kitchener, ON) won a challenge in his own end and sent a long ball for Springer, who in alone, one touched a strike past Lucas McDonald to give the Tommies the lead. 15 minutes later Springer came streaking down the left wing and put a quick shot past McDonald, who got a piece of the shot, but couldn't keep it out. Springer would save his best work for his final goal of the day. The Tommies won a free kick 25 yards out and Springer stepped over the ball. His strike was sent inches over the wall and slotted just into the top left corner of the goal to give the Tommies a commanding 3-0 lead 36 minutes into the game.
"There's a reason he's player of the year and should be CCAA Player of the Year," said Morrison about his second-year striker.
First year head coach PJ Ward had his Seawolves ready to go for the second half as they carried the pace and play for the first 25 minutes, resulting in a free kick from the almost identical spot as Springer in the first half. Midfielder Thomas Barbara took the kick and curled it into the top corner to bring his team within two, but that is as close as they would get as both keepers, McDonald and Luke Ewen (Milton, ON) would come up with some big saves down the stretch.
Chidubem Nkoloagau would ice the game in the dying seconds, as the Seawolves brought their keeper up for a free kick and Nkoloagau would reap the reward of the empty net.
"They lost one of the best players in the league pregame which was unfortunate for them and then went down another to red card," added Morrison. "Saint John always gives us a good battle, and they did just that today playing to the final whistle."
The Tommies will play the winner of Mount Saint Vincent University and Holland College for the ACAA Championship with the game scheduled for 2:30pm on Sunday, October 31st.