As It Happened: Dalhousie Tigers (W) v. Saint Mary's Huskies (W)

Hi. This was not a nice fixture for SMU and blah blah blah. Lets' just be clear--this hasn't been a nice season for SMU so far. 1 goal in 4 games ain't good, and they've not scored against anyone except UNB this season. They didn't even come close against Dal in preseason.

So, naturally, Dal will rub it in by flaunting thier impressive goalkeeping depth, starting "back-up" Taryn McKenna tonight. She's very highly rated--looked superhuman in the warm-ups.

Given the fact she didn't take the warm-up, I'd guess Alannah MacLean's groin is still a problem. The good news is that whatever problem Hutchison had with rookie left-back Stephanie Crewe (inexperience, I think) was resolved in Moncton last week when she was named player of the game. So perhaps Katie Richard will finally get to attack a bit.

Teams:

Dal: McKenna, Huck, Henry, C. MacDonald, Crewe, Morrison, Santilli, O'Reilly, Blodgett, Donald, Landry.

So Hutchison goes with McKenna and no true striker.

SMU: Wilson, Langley, Caldwell, Fox, Diab, Holland, Pentz, Benedict, Rostaert, Hunter, Burgess.

Referee: Carl Gorsky.

1min: SMU kick-off. Dal have clearly been warned about the profanity during the CBU men's game two weeks ago. Anyone swearing will be thrown out. These things are never enforceable, though.

3min: Donald is playing striker, which she did last year for SMU. She can do it, but I don't know that it's her best position. She's sitting quite deep at the moment for a striker.

5min: It'll be interesting to see how McKenna does tonight. Some say she's better than Armstrong. Landry gets space for a shot but underhits it spectacularly. Wilson somehow manages to fumble it anyway, but there's no one there to capitalize.

10min: SMU look alright defensively--though Dal haven't really tested them yet.

12min: Some bad blood is already developing between Blodgett and Holland. Pushes and nast tackles have been thrown. Diab is ordered off for some reason, and replaced by Melissa Currie. Probably a hair problem, or maybe some blood.

16min: Blodgett tries a Steven gerrard-esque volley and discovers she's not Steven Gerrard.

18min: Morrison is mugged in the box and there are appeals for a penalty, but it would have been a harsh call.

20min: Landry with more solid pace aroudn Langley, but her shot is blocked. Currie and Diab swap again and Blodgett--who has looked decent so far--comes out for Kate MacDonald, who's announced as "Nugget."

24min: "Nugget" curls a corner off the post, but it was already behind the line.

25min: A nice glancing header from Rostaert gives McKenna her first real test of the afternoon.

27min: Donald with Dal's best chance now, beating Langley and forcing Wilson into another save. Landry's on hand to pot the rebound, but she just can't reach it.

28min: Kirbey Hunter comes off for Bermudan winger Kascia White, who looked good in preseason.

29min: GOAL! And SMU carefully direct a Dal corner past Wilson and it's 1-0 to Dal. After conferring with the Tigers' reserves in front of me, we've come to a hazy consensus that it might have probably been Pentz who put it in. She's certainly as likely as anyone to have done it out of that scrum.

34min: Santilli with some skill through the middle which looks to have unlocked a chance until Fox dispossess her.

38min: Donald with some more good work up front. SMU's defenders have really struggled to control the ball and it keeps pinging around the back line, giving Dal numerous chances.

40min: Huck sends a ball in and Donald is dumped in the D. Free kick which Santilli will hit....

41min: She fakes it and Huck skims it over the bar. Wilson was well beaten.

45+min: This half is puttering out like a certain well-known downtown sewage plant.

45+min: The ref calls half-time. Dal will likely lock this game down in the second. They're very good at that, which is why the first half was so choked after the own goal. It's a dangerous game, though. It's too easy to concede a soft goal on a corner kick--in other words, do exactly what SMU have already done.

Looks like it's the alumni day today. A nice kind of occasion, although it seems somewhat disorgainzed so far. A lot of people standing around. Watch for a ceremony between the games.

Oh wait, here they come now! Ceremony! Ceremony! They spend some time pointing out that it's been 10 years since Dal won a CIS gold medal. Just the sort of thought one wants, eh?

45min: Ah, here we go> The necessary trinkets have been presented and we're ready to go.

Here all all the subs:

-Hardy in for Landry
-Clarke in for White
-Johnstone in for Donald

Hardy's a solid veteran. She doesn't get much playing time, but her leadership is excellent.

49min: Lots more midfield banging. That'll suit Dal just fine, since SMU are getting very little possession and fewer chances.

50min: Hardy and Morrison link up well but make several too many passes and give Wilson an easier save than necessary as a result.

52min: Morrison battles for possession in the box and chips it up for "Nugget," who blasts it wide.

54min: Hardy gets ger head on a cross and directs it wide. Dal look like scoring.

56min: Penalty! Dal win a corner and SMu give a handball away in the box. Holland is booked for dissent, I think.

57min: GOAL! Huck slots cooly into the bottom corner to make it 2-0. I should mention that SMU are pretty upset about the call, and I can see why. It was a bit of an almighty scramble and it looked like ball-to-hand, though the action may also have blocked a very good scoring opportunity. Tough to say.

62min: Santilli fires wide on a prime opportunity. Hardy's brief appearance is over and Richard comes on.

64min: Free kick in the corner for Dal and it's cleared off the line. Dal win another corner.

65min: Another free kick to Dal, this one more centrally. Huck and Santilli are ready.

66min: O'Reilly fouls as it comes into the box, though.

67min: Colleen MacDonald misses her mark and Clarke breaks in but McKenna saves her weak shot.

69min: Dal go the way and Morrison is left unmarked in the box. She looks top corner but Wilson makes an incredible fingertip save to force it over.

73min: Caldwell comes off for Hunter.

74min: Given SMU's remarkable inability to score, I'd say Dal have this game wrapped, and comfortably.

77mi: Wilson is forced to snag away from over "Nugget's" head after another Johnstone-trademark cross.

78min: Johnston puts in a brilliant corner and O'Reilly has a rare attempt at goal, which is blocked.

79min: Johnstone will get to swing another ball in. It comes very close, too. Wilson gets levelled and misses the ball as a result. "Nugget" can't quite get to the rebound. Wilson looks like she's sometime in next week, but she's back up now, retrieving her golf cap and shaking it off.

84min: SMU bring off Diab and Clrake for Reeves and Turner-Chiasson. Dal switch Johnstone for Hardy.

86min: Huck sends another cross in and Wilson shies way from it. "Nugget" just misses, though.

90min: There will be two more minutes. Dal bring off Richard for Johnstone.

90+1min: SMU have no offense.

90+2min: Dal take it rather easily. They're still undefeated, but so are St. FX, who are tops of the conference right now. Should be a dandy when they come to town next Sunday--a top team and Teresa Morrison's first game against her former team, too.