Box Score LANGLEY, British Columbia - The Trinity Western Spartans used a four goal first half to defeat the visiting UNBC Timberwolves 4-0 Friday evening at Rogers Field on TWU's Langley, B.C. campus. The victory allows the Spartans to improve to 4-3-2 to pass UBC Okanagan and move into a third place tie with the University of Victoria for third spot in the Pacific Division of Canada West. The loss drops the Timberwolves to 1-8-0.
TWU second year midfielder Matthew Roxburgh (Surrey, B.C.) led the Spartan attack with a three point night including the opening two goals in 81 seconds, while TWU fourth year keeper Andrew Hicks earned the shutout victory.
"It is amazing what a little bit of pressure and anxiety is created when you have to go after something. There is good pressure and bad pressure and we had good pressure today and the guys responded," commented TWU head coach Pat Rohla. "We were in the right mentality to go after a team. We had a couple of wobbles to start, which we got straightened out and then we went at them. We frightened them a couple of times with Jarvis and Vito on runs and then it opened up for Matt Roxburgh on a three point night."
"Our movement through transition and speeding up play towards goal was the best that we have had this year and that was the difference in the game," added Rohla. "What I'm happy with is that we got the 'Goose Egg' and that was important for us to get a shutout for Hicks, who has been tremendous for us this year."
The Spartans dominated play from start to finish as they outshot the Timberwolves 18-1 in total shots and 9-0 in shots on goal. UNBC's Tyrone Venhola made five saves in the loss.
Roxburgh opened the scoring in the 16th minute. The Spartans worked the ball around the field and up the right side of the park the ball was cut back to second year midfielder Elijah Adekugbe (Calgary), who then drew the defenders and slid the ball over to Roxburgh. Roxburgh took one touch and then found the top right of the Timberwolves net with a shot from outside the top of the penalty area.
The second year business student got his second of the night at in the 17th minute off of a brilliant dribbling display by second year forward Vito Poletto (Calgary). Poletto started at the top left side of the UNBC box, dribbled past three Timberwolves defenders before cutting the ball back to a wide open Roxburgh who slotted it home from the top of the six yard box.
Jarvis Ambaka (Maragoli, Kenya) made it 3-0 in the 21st minutes. Roxburgh found Ambaka up his traditional left side of the pitch. The fifth year human kinetics student then sprinted up the outside, cut back into the penalty area and then fired the ball into the right side of the UNBC net for his third goal of the season.
Third year midfielder Mitchell Urzinger (Langley, B.C.) made it 4-0 in the 41st minute. Adekugbe led Urzinger into a breakaway up the right side of the pitch with a perfectly led pass. Urzinger went untouched toward goal and beat UNBC's Tyrone Venhola to the short side to put TWU up 4-0 going into the half.
The Spartans had an additional eight shots on net in the second half, but were unable to put another marker on the scoreboard.
The Spartans will play the Timberwolves again tomorrow in their final home game of the season. TWU will be honouring seniors Jarvis Ambaka and Brayden Gant (Maple Ridge, B.C.) prior to the 7:15 p.m. match.
Match Notes: A win by the Spartans tomorrow night will put TWU five points ahead of fifth place UBC Okanagan heading into the final weekend of the season…Andrew Hicks currently sits in fifth spot in Canada West with a Goals-Against-Average of 1.33…
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