LANGLEY, British Columbia – Trinity Western's Rachel Hutchinson (Cloverdale, B.C.) scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the Spartans to a 2-0 win over Western Washington University (NCAA Div. II) Thursday at Chase Office Field.
After a scoreless opening half, Hutchinson cracked the game open with a 55th-minute tally before putting the home side up by two with her second in the 68th minute. First-year Bella Roque (Surrey, B.C.) rounded out the scoring with her first ever at Chase Office Field in the 90th minute.
The Vikings, who are both the defending national champions and ranked No. 1 nationally in the preseason poll, were held to three shots on target, which TWU keeper Rachel Sydor (Tsawwassen, B.C.) earning the clean sheet.
Hutchinson opened the scoring for the Spartans early in the second half, taking a ball from Leanne Verhoeff (Calgary) and beating her defender one-on-one before slotting it past Vikings keeper Ashley Homer.
The third-year striker scored again 15 minutes later when she found a loose ball in the box off a Spartans cross, knocking it in from eight yards out.
Roque buried the Spartans third of the contest, when she got to a rebound in the box and put it past WWU keeper Alyssa Treptow, who had entered the game midway through the second half.
The Vikings best chance of the second half came on a goalmouth scramble early on, but the Spartans cleared the ball off line to keep the game scoreless.
WWU's Malia Maack had a clear-cut shot on goal in the 86th minute, but Sydor was in perfect position to collect the attempt.
The Spartans will now travel to Portland, Ore. to take on Concordia Aug. 26 (7 p.m. PT) before playing Puget Sound Aug. 27 (5 p.m. PT).
TWU opens its Canada West regular season at home Sept. 8-9 against UBC and Victoria.
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