V-Reds sweep UdeM in both men's and women's action at home

After finishing in the Atlantic University Sport women's soccer conference cellar last season, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds are right in the playoff mix this season.

The V-Reds downed the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleues 2-0 last night at Chapman Field to leave both teams with 3-5-2 records for 11 points and a share of sixth.

The top six teams make the playoffs but there is a catch. The Acadia Axewomen have only nine points but, as hosts, are guaranteed a spot in the AUS championship tournament.

UPEI and Dalhousie have locked up two more playoff spots with 24 and 23 points, respectively.

That leaves five teams - Cape Breton (16), St. FX (14), Saint Mary's (12), UNB and Moncton - vying for three berths.

Still, UNB second-year striker Samantha Lagacy (Moncton, NB) will take it.

"It feels awesome," Lagacy said. "Last weekend we didn't get the results we wanted (one point in two road games), so it was good to come back and beat a strong team that we knew we had to beat."

The V-Reds opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Olivia Jennings (Bathurst, NB) found herself alone behind Moncton's defence, then found the back of the net behind UdeM keeper Danika Jobin.

UNB notched the insurance goal in the 59th minute when Lagacy, a Moncton native, converted a pass from Erica Middleton (Quispamsis, NB) on a two-on-one break.

"It was a great ball in by Gabby (Doucette) and Erica was nice enough to pass it across," Lagacy said.

"When you get up by two in our league it's tough to come back," UNB head coach Andy Cameron said. "This keeps us in it. We've got three games left and we're competing. We're getting better every week. That's what it's all about."

Erika Ermen made five saves for the shutout - the fourth straight game les Aigles Bleus have put up a goose egg.

The V-Reds know what it's like to struggle offensively. Last season, they scored 11 goals in 13 games. This year, they have 12 through the first 10.

"It's amazing," Lagacy said. "Now we're just scoring goals like it's nothing, but last year when we scored a goal it was like the end of the world."

In the late game, the UNB men edged UdeM 1-0 in a sometimes chippy game. After Moncton's Bourama Simpara rang a shot off the post three minutes in, Galen Smith (Fredericton, NB) buried a pass from Amir Razak in the 10th minute for the lone goal.

"I saw the backline wasn't watching me and I was free on the back post," Smith said. "It was just a great ball by Amir, basically."

Both teams had chances after that. UNB's William Allen (Kensington, PEI) was robbed by leaping UdeM keeper Samuel Charron in the 29th minute. Charron stopped Smith point blank in the the 49th minute and Ryan Lauzon hit the post on the rebound.

Les Aigles Bleus came thisclose to tying it in the 78th minute. Moncton midfielder Kasper Ciepala got everything behind a booming kick from 40 metres out, but UNB rookie keeper Aaron McMurray (London, ON) timed it perfectly and used his fingertips to tip the ball over the crossbar.

"That was ridiculous - a beautiful save," Smith said. "Aaron saves us day in and day out. It's hard to replace a guy like (Matt) Lally, but Aaron's doing as good a job as anyone could expect."

"That was a great save," Ciepala said. "We were looking for the tie, but they played strong defence and their goalie made that huge save. We were all over them the last few minutes but they held on."

"I think it gave us the momentum to keep going the rest of the game," McMurray said. "I thought we died after we got the early goal. We thought we could ride it out a bit, but we had a good talk at halftime and did what we needed to do."

That goes for McMurray as well.

"I didn't play my best in the first half, but my backline kept me in it," he said. "And I got the big break when they hit the post - a goalie's best friend."

UNB improves to 5-3-2 for 17 points, three ahead of Dalhousie for third place. Moncton, now 3-4-3, is tied with Cape Breton for sixth. UPEI moved into fifth with a 1-0 win over Mount A last night.

"This sets them back and keeps us moving forward," Smith said.

UdeM is hosting the AUS championship Nov. 5-7, however, and Ciepala would like to meet the V-Reds again.

"This is my first year, but we beat them last year in the playoffs and the guys said that was the best feeling ever," said Ciepala, who's from Gatineau, Que. "I'm looking forward to meeting those guys in the AUS."

"We'd like another crack at them too," Smith said, "because they beat us in the playoffs last year. Beating them in the regular season is not the same thing."

Both UNB teams are off to Nova Scotia to face Dal and Acadia this weekend before hosting UPEI on Oct. 30 to complete the regular season.