The Sam Davidson Memorial Trophy won’t have to travel very far as the Cape Breton Capers lifted the trophy at their home field Nov. 12 in Sydney, N.S. The Capers defeated the Montreal Carabins 1-0 to secure their second national championship in program history.
Cape Breton became the second host school to win the competition in as many seasons, following the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack’s 2022 triumph in Kamloops, B.C.
Six years after winning their first championship in 2017, the Capers took to Ness Timmins Field to face an opponent against which they have a storied history.
The Capers beat the Carabins in the 2017 finals, and the Carabins stopped them from going back-to-back the next year. The 2021 tournament aside, the two teams have met every year since 2017 and the Capers have been unable to conquer the Carabins since their championship win.
Before the match, very little set the teams apart. Both sides finished their regular seasons with records of 9-0-3 and were eliminated in their respective conference finals. The Capers entered the tournament as the fifth seed, the Carabins sixth.
The Capers scored the eventual winning goal just before the conclusion of the first half. A loose ball made its way to second-year midfielder Jacob Spizzirri, who hammered it over the shoulder of Carabins goalkeeper Olivier Rouleau.
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Two Carabins players closed out Capers midfielder Max Piepgrass on the play, leaving the 2022 Atlantic University Sport rookie of the year without a marker. With the defence distracted by their appeals for a foul, Spizziri turned and shot before Carabins centre-back Kareem Sow could block his path.
The Carabins may feel unlucky after putting up an impressive 18 shots with six on target compared to the Capers six shots with two on target throughout the match. The visiting team maintained the majority of possession throughout the game but failed to find the back of the net.
Before going down at the end of the first half, the Carabins looked downright dominant in possession. They stretched the field with a high line of attack, creating space to exploit between the Capers’ defensive and midfield lines. As a result, Montreal had multiple chances in front of the net.
They deterred Montreal’s advances, aiming to catch them out of position on a counter-attack. The Capers held a high line of press — a strategy that brought them their first shot on goal after attacker Owen Sheppard disarmed a Carabins defender for a chance on Rouleau.
Entering the second half with a lead, the Capers pressed even harder, giving Montreal less time to play the long balls that had been so dangerous. This approach proved successful as the Carabins were forced to build up using quick, on-the-ground passes.
The Carabins continued to push in the final 45 minutes but were unable to break down the rigid Capers defense.
Frantically looking for an equalizer, the Carabins turned to the crossing game by whipping balls into the box. This approach nearly paid off in the 89th minute when Capers goalkeeper Daniel Clarke was forced to tip a headed ball over the crossbar.
Five minutes of stoppage time slowly elapsed for Capers fans as their team defended successive attacks. When the final whistle blew, the metal fences surrounding the field were toppled over as fans stormed the pitch to celebrate with the players.
Following their second win against the Carabins in six years, the Capers were granted their first-ever trophy on home soil, surrounded by friends and family.
With the conclusion of the 2023 U Sports national championship, all teams will look in anticipation to the 2024 tournament hosted in Oshawa, Ont. by Ontario Tech University.
Featured image provided by CBU Athletics.
