CEC girls soccer team ties opening match of season

TRURO - It wasn't quite the start to the season the Cobequid Cougars girls soccer team was looking for, but they'll take it.
The Cougars kicked off their high school soccer season with a 0-0 draw against the rival Dr. John Hugh Gillis Royals Thursday at CEC.
The result was a disappointment for the Cougars, after cruising through a tournament last weekend en route to the final.
"We could have played a lot better and we can beat them," said Cougars co-coach Kate Adams.
But Adams wasn't completely disappointed with her team, saying they matched the Royals step for step until the final 10 minutes of the game. The Royals then took control and hit three goal posts and the Cougars escaped unscathed.
"We still have some things to work on, but it's our first game," Adams said. "We were pretty evenly matched but we still have some things to sort out."
Adams said those included work on passing and communication.
"They played a bit of a system most teams don't and we couldn't adjust to it so the communication needs to step up.
Meanwhile, the Royals handed the Cougars a 5-2 loss on the boys side of the ball in
Antigonish.
Seth MacLean and Ryan Blaauwendraat did the Cougars' scoring.
Cobequid opened with a 1-0 lead and the contest was knotted 2-2 at half-time, however,
the Royals stepped on the gas in the final 45 minutes.
"They're strong," said Cougars coach Jay Foster. "They have a veteran squad and we just ran out of gas in the second half. But it wasn't a bad effort."
Foster said the game gave the Cougars a clear picture of the level they have to rise to by the end of the season. Incidentally, the Cougars and Royals meet in their final regular-season contest.
"Everyone left knowing what we have to improve on," he said. "There were things they did that we just couldn't deal with."
The Cougars are back in action Tuesday when the boys host the Northumberland Nighthawks at 4:30 p.m. at CEC in their home opener. The girls travel to the Pictou County school also for a 4:30 p.m. start.

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