It was another successful year for Dalhousie’s varsity teams, with six of eight eligible squads qualifying for the postseason. Below is a breakdown of how each team fared in the playoffs.
Women’s soccer (4-6-2 in the regular season, No. 6 seed in the AUS playoffs)
AUS postseason record: 0-1
Breakdown: The Tigers faced off against the No. 3 seeded Acadia Axewomen in the quarter-finals of the AUS championship. The two teams had faced off twice in the regular season, with Acadia winning 3-2 in the first contest on Oct. 2. The second matchup on Oct. 21 resulted in a hard-fought 1-1 draw. Both games were intense fights to the finish.
Their quarter-final tilt was no different, as the two squads needed extra time to decide a winner.
Dal recorded the first goal of the game, courtesy of veteran striker Jensen Hudder in the 63rd minute, before Acadia struck back in the 71st minute. The Axewomen would score the eventual game winner six minutes into added play and hung on the rest of the way for the 2-1 win.
Men’s soccer (5-0-7 in the regular season, No. 5 seed in the AUS playoffs)
AUS postseason record: 0-1
Breakdown: Dalhousie was looking to make a statement entering their quarter-final matchup against No. 5 seeded UNB – the former three-time defending AUS champions. The two teams had battled to a 1-1 draw in their only meeting of the regular season in late September.
The Tigers came out strong and were threatening on the offensive end, until an injury to dynamic striker Kallen Heenan derailed their momentum. His exit from the game allowed the Varsity Reds defenders to become more involved in the offensive attack, and they would ultimately capitalize, scoring four second-half goals as a team en route to a 5-0 win.
Women’s hockey (7-16-1 in the regular season, No. 6 seed in the AUS playoffs)
AUS postseason record: 0-2
Breakdown: The Tigers faced a tough task in the opening round of the playoffs, matching up against a high-powered StFX team that made it all the way to nationals. Dalhousie battled hard in both games against the X-Women, but ultimately lost the series 2-0.
The team entered the third period of game one down just 3-1, before giving up three goals in the final seven minutes. They would also lead 1-0 in the opening 11 minutes of game two, but were unable to hold on, falling 7-1. Despite the first-round sweep, Dalhousie gained valuable experience, having made it to the playoffs for a third-straight year.
Men’s volleyball (11-6 in the regular season, No. 1 seed in the AUS playoffs)
AUS postseason record: 0-2
Breakdown: The Tigers ran into a hot Varsity Reds team in the AUS championship series, falling 3-0 in game one, and 3-1 in game two. It was the second-consecutive year that the No. 2 seeded Varsity Reds were able to best the Tigers for the conference banner.
Despite the loss, the team battled hard in every set. The second contest for example, featured an impressive 32-30 comeback win in the third set by Dal.
Women’s volleyball (19-1 in the regular season, No. 1 seed in the AUS playoffs)
AUS postseason record: 2-0
Breakdown: Dalhousie captured their fifth-straight AUS banner in 2016-17, sweeping No. 4 seeded Moncton in the semifinals as well as No. 2 seeded Memorial in the championship game. Outside hitter Anna Dunn-Suen was tremendous in both games, recording a combined 25 kills. She was named championship tournament MVP for her efforts.
The victory over Memorial also served as redemption for Dalhousie, as the Seahawks were the only squad to defeat the Tigers in the regular season.
Nationals record: 2-1
Breakdown: The Tigers improved on their sixth-place finish at last year’s event, winning the consolation final, good for a fifth-place result.
Dalhousie would fall 3-0 in the quarter-finals to Montreal, marking the second-straight year that the Carabins were able to best them at nationals. The team bounced back with a 3-1 victory over host Ryerson in the consolation semis however, and a 3-0 win over Western to finish things off.
Second-year Courtney Baker was tremendous against Ryerson, with a 19-point performance that included 16 kills and 15 digs. Three players would tally at least 10 points against Western, led by outside hitter Mieke DuMont, with 15.
Men’s basketball (16-4 in the regular season, No. 1 seed in the AUS playoffs)
AUS postseason record: 2-0
Breakdown: Already guaranteed a birth at nationals as the host, the No. 1 seeded Tigers held nothing back in the AUS playoffs, defeating No. 5 seeded Acadia and No. 3 seeded Saint Mary’s en route to their third-straight conference banner.
The squad showed their resolve in both contests, coming back from four points down in the final 30 seconds against the Axemen, as well as a 10-point halftime deficit against the Huskies.
Nationals record: 2-1
Breakdown: Dal faced off against fourth-seeded Alberta in the quarter-finals. The Tigers would come out on top 67-65 in a back and forth battle, thanks to a game-winning layup from tournament all-star Kashrell Lawrence with 1.4 seconds to play.
Next up for the Tigers was the top-seeded Ryerson Rams. In yet another instant classic, Dalhousie would fall 59-58, after a last-second three-pointer fell just short.
The hosts would finish the tournament off in the style, capturing their first-ever medal at nationals, with a 69-63 win over the No. 3 seeded McGill Redmen. Dalhousie was led by fourth-year sharpshooter Sven Stammberger, who had 20 points.
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