Preseason update: Dalhousie Tigers (Men)

The third and final returnee practice Thursday was the last chance for last year's players to get the rust out before open tryouts.

There are several holes to fill, the biggest being left by the departure of left back and captain John Ballantyne. Look for sophmore Hussein Rajan to step up and fill that role. While he's smaller than Ballantyne, Rajan is faster and showed a lot of poise on Thursday.

The captaincy will be filled by all-Canadian Ross Hagen.

Thursday's practice showed a team fairly comfortable with each other. "We like to pass the ball," said head coach Pat Nearing, and that passing was certainly on display.

They'll have to learn to pass to new players, though, as Nearing estimates 5 rookies will make his team. On top of that, Nearing says he has three transfer players--players who enter Dal from other schools, often coming for the med school, cites Nearing as an example. This, says Nearing, will help with depth in a league where three games in three nights is not unheard of.

The men hold open tryouts tomorrow, then finalize the team on Saturday before a Tuesday game against Halifax City of the NSSL.

"So long, farewell...."

Yep, that's right. I'm off. I've got two match summaries to write for the Gazette and they need them soon. And it's 9:30pm and I haven't eaten yet, so there's a pizza going in the oven soon, too. If you want more analysis or highlights SSN is a free network and you can get highlights at www.ssncanada.ca.

It's been a pleasure going through this, I hope anyone who's been reading this has had fun. We'll try and do this again sometime, I've enjoyed it.

Until then, see you later,
Dylan

Full-time

Decent game, not phenomenal, but good enough. The men's basketball team is already mobbing Funk, waving a pylon around for some reason, as if saluting Funk. There is no one left in the stands, I think. They're all on the pitch. There may not be a double for them, but they'll take this. The women are a young team and will be dominant for a long time.

90+2min

A shot goes wide. Funk will hammer it away. And there it is! TWU win!

90+1min

Really terrible mistake by Dilling, but she's able to clear it off Fidler and it's a goal kick.

90min

Funk snags a ball off a long free kick. That was dangerous for a moment.

89min

Nothing much happening now. Looks like Brock are done, and the underdog story will end here.

86min

Wright misses another Mobilio cross; TWU could have put that one away easily. Brock are pressing, now.

84min

Wright gets free in the box and has a pop. It's well blocked at point blank range. Rachael Hood is in for Bettger.

82min

Corner to TWU. Ferguson is taking it. It goes straight through the area, but as soon as Mobilio gets a look at goal the ref whistles for a foul.