Fredericton, NB - The crowd went silent, as Ashley Neves of the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics stared down the Keeper of the Year Jillian Smith – penalty kicks would be the deciding factor in this ACAA Championship match, and Neves could end it. As the whistle blew, Neves made no mistake. The Mystics had won another ACAA Championship.
“My teammates told me to go up there with confidence,” Neves said. “That’s what I did, and it felt great.”
120 minutes wasn’t enough to find an ACAA Champion. The Mystics and University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves needed penalty kicks in the ACAA Finals at the Grant-Harvey Turf Field.
The Mystics held most of the possession for the first 20 minutes of the match, but couldn’t generate any dangerous scoring chances.
The Seawolves slow start didn’t last long – UNBSJ put on the pressure late in the first half. One of their best chances came in the 42nd minute, as the Seawolves attacker made a beautiful crossover before placing the ball in the box. The Seawolves couldn’t get a foot on it, as MSVU cleared.
The second half featured much of the same – a pressuring Seawolves team that couldn’t get one by Mystics goalkeeper Morgan Gillies.
The Mystics would come down the field and get their best chance of the half as well, after a centered ball created a scramble in front of the net, giving the Mystics a great scoring chance – but the ACAA Keeper of the Year, Jillian Smith, kept the game tied, making the save.
The first half of extra time was evenly contested, not seeing many scoring opportunities. MSVU cranked up the pressure late in the second half of extra time, but the game remained scoreless, forcing penalty kicks.
Gillies said it felt amazing to win the championship after losing in the finals last season.
“It just feels so good to take gold home,” she said.
The Mystics will travel to Quebec for the CCAA Nationals Nov. 9-12.