(HALIFAX, NS) Quinn Perren’s four-goal performance helped the Dalhousie Tigers roll over the UNB REDS to advance at the Maritime University Field Lacrosse League Championship in Halifax, on Saturday.
“In all honesty, we did not play our best,” said REDS head coach Chris Burgess. “We made some simple mistakes throughout the game, making it tough to find our footing in the offensive end. Having said that, we did not back down and battled hard between the whistles. We finished our season with class.”
The Tigers opened the scoring just minutes into the game as Zane Fletcher found the back of the net off an outside rip that beat REDS goalie Zach Cogswell high.
Perren would then add his first after finding an open look on the left wing to blast another by Cogswell.
Not long after that, the Tigers would add another goal as Aiden Child found himself alone in front off of a breakdown in transition. Cogswell made a great save on the initial shot, but Child was able to grab his own rebound and put it past the REDS keeper.
Despite the lopsided score, Cogswell had a solid performance for the REDS, making 10 saves in the semi-final loss.
With just a minute left in the quarter, Child got his second of the game, taking a feed from a dodging Noah Beaulieu and blowing it past Cogswell to give the Tigers the 4-0 lead after the 1st quarter.
Dal continued to roll on offense in the second quarter as Beaulieu would find a cutting Lucas Mazer open in front of the UNB net to make it 5-0 Tigers. Perron would then add his second of the game before the Tigers would take advantage of an unsettled situation in transition as Liam Reid was found wide open in front of the net to beat Cogswelland make it 7-0 Tigers.
UNB would have chances in the first half hitting three posts but were unable to solve Tigers goalie Zach Richards who made five saves in the half.
The REDS would finally get on the board before the end of the half. Austin De Mora beat his man from below the cage and put one past Richards to make it 7-1 Dalhousie after two quarters.
Coming out of break, the Tigers offensive continued to look unstoppable. On a man-up situation, Child found Perron open on the left wing to put home his third goal.
Emmett Ross would add another for the Tigers, increasing Dal’s lead to 9-1.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Fletcher would find the back of the net for the second time, after rolling under his defender to score a beautiful diving goal, putting the Tigers up 10-1. Perron then got his fourth to make it 11-1 Tigers.
Austin Hirschfeld would give UNB their second goal, taking a feed from Braden Galbreith and putting one top corner, giving the REDS a bit of a spark with just six minutes to go.
But it was too little, too late for the REDS. The Tigers would close out the game 11-2.
Despite the loss, there is a lot for the REDS to build on from the 2022 season.
“We saw some great development from our new athletes,” said Burgess. “With a fairly new group, I was proud of the steps we took as a collective. We’re definitely looking forward on cultivating this group in the off-season.”
The Tigers will face STFX in the MUFLL championship game, Sunday at 5:00pm.
Dal looks to capture their 11th consecutive title.
RECAP BY: Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics
PHOTO: File