Player Ratings: Dalhousie Tigers (W) 0 - 0 Saint Mary's Huskies (W)

Here's a new thing for us: player ratings after the games. While these are obviously a work of opinion, we'll be as fair as we can. Feel free to offer differing opinions in the comment section. Until we get rosters, we can really only do Dalhousie ratings. This time, we've assigned a team rating to Saint Mary's.

Since this is university sport, after all, we decided to use a letter-grade system for ratings.


Dalhousie:

• GK-Rebecca Holm-B+: Holm didn't allow a goal, which is always a good thing for a keeper and seemed confident claiming balls into the box. Strong game for her, although not tested ovelry much.
• GK-Heather Armstrong-B: Also no goals conceded, but didn't command the box quite as well as Holm and looked a little uncertain on some long balls in.
• Jeanette Huck-B: At times, easily the best player on the pitch. She'll need to produce a goal to put herself any higher than B, though.
• Katie Richard-B: Excellent creative game, as usual. Lacked finish at times, but not a bad game.
• Emma Landry-B+: Considering she's a rookie in her first game at this level, she looked confident and poised. Wouldn't surprise me if she nabbed a goal on Sunday.
• Colleen MacDonald-B: Broke up most everything Saint Mary's threw forward and looked strong.
• Reika Santilli-C-: Although she was injured for the second half, Santilli was having a bad outing. Lost possession frequently and didn't seem to move around enough to allow the midfield to transition well.
• Sarah Lye-C+: Kind of invisible for much of the game. I've seen her influence the game, but she didn't tonight.
• Kate MacDonald-B+: Not her best game ever, but she is always a lethal mix of creative and dangerous. A goal would have helped.
• Amanda Henry-B: Faded a bit, but that's permissible in a defender--a defender you don't notice isn't making mistakes. Certainly brings strength to the backline.
• Joanna Boldgett-C: Probably gets a higher grade from Hutchison, who praised her after the game. She sent some crosses in, but really failed to influence the game very much. Lots of potential, though.
• Lesley D'Apollonia-C: The difficulty in coming up with a grade is due to the fact I never really noticed her. Could have created up the wing while at left back, but failed to.
• #7 (roster not yet available)-B: Not a band game. Attacked a bit up the left, defended well, which is what needs to happen from a fullback.
• #8 (roster not yet available)-B+: Did everything but score. That's got to change, but a player who seems to know how to score will not find that task hard.
• Coach-Jack Hutchison-B: When I understand his tactics, I'm sure everything will make sense. He keeps winning, so why question that? There must be some secret. Tactics aside, he improved the team at half-time and they came out looking motivated and played much better for it. Line-up selection was fine for preseason. If Dal had come out motivated before the game, the grade would have been higher.
• Referee-B: Called a good game, but for halting play for an injury on a great Dal chance. It's a friendly, so that alleviates some blame, but for once, I'd like to see the head injury rule called properly.

SMU grade: B-: They brought intensity and looked hungry, but they'll need a lot more potency. Once Dal woke up they were overwhelmed quite easily and really should have conceded but for some poor finishing from Dal. If that had been a regular season game, they would have lost it.