Panthers, Sea-Hawks earn point in nil-nil draw
In a conference with as much parity as the AUS has, every point matters.
By Thomas Becker
In a conference with as much parity as the AUS has, every point matters.
The UPEI Panthers earned a big one after finishing in a nil-nil draw with the Memorial Sea-Hawks (3-3-1) Friday night.
While they still find themselves outside of a playoff spot, the Panthers (1-2-3) are still very much in the hunt as they sit just four points out of second place—something a short win streak can erase in a hurry.
Even though the first half of the season hasn't gone quite as planned, the Panthers are still a confident bunch.
"We weren't able to break through and get that goal, but we defended well as a team the entire game and came out with the point," said goalkeeper Isaac Wolters, who was named UPEI's Player of the Game. "We have three more games in the next two weeks, so that'll be an opportunity for us to get some more points and move up the standings."
The Panthers were the aggressors early, as they generated a couple scoring opportunities that just fell short of the mark. In the 13th minute, Jeremiah Osorio took a shot from 20 yards out that goalkeeper Louis-Charles Vaillancourt punched over the crossbar to keep the game knotted up at zero.
Then, in the 27th minute, Riad Jaha got a clear look and fired a powerful shot that curled just wide of the top right corner.
Wolters came up big in the 58th minute when Cabhan O'Keefe got a clear look from 10 yards out, but the third-year keeper dove to his right to make the impressive save, which proved pivotal in the end. Wolters finished the game with six saves.
Centre back Harry Carter was named the Sea-Hawks' Player of the Game.
Next up for UPEI is a Sunday afternoon tilt against the UNB Reds, while Memorial visits the Mount Allison Mounties.
Photo Credit: Janessa Vanden Broek
