LANGLEY, B.C. – In a defensive battle, the Trinity Western women's hockey team lost 1-0 to visiting MacEwan Saturday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre. 

The Griffins (5-5) Mila Verbicky scored a first period goal on the power play that stood up as the game-winner, as MacEwan goalie Brianna Sank earned a 21-save shutout for the victory. 

TWU netminder Jadeyn Kastning (Medicine Hat, Alta.) made 20 saves for the Spartans (2-8). 

The teams finished with 21 shots apiece. The Spartans were unsuccessful on two power play opportunities while MacEwan was one for seven.

AS IT HAPPENED 
Verbicky opened the scoring 8:50 into the opening frame, knocking home the puck from in tight on a scramble at the top of the crease. The Griffins finished the period with a 9-6 edge in shots.

The second period was similar with MacEwan outshooting the Spartans 8-5. After TWU was whistled for the first four penalties of the contest, the Spartans got two power play opportunities midway through the second period but were unable to capitalize. 

The Spartans seized momentum in the third period, buzzing around the Griffins net and outshooting the visitors 10-4, but once again, Sank was up for the challenge, holding the Spartans off the scoreboard.

NOTABLE
•    Each of TWU's last six games have been decided by two goals or fewer.
•    The Spartans are 2-4 over their last six outings with the opposition scoring no more than two goals in all four losses. 
•    The Griffins held TWU without a goal in back-to-back games, with MacEwan also earning a shutout in a 2-0 win Friday. 

QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Jean Laforest
"I think today was better than last night, but offensively the numbers haven't been coming our way. We only had 11 shots after the second period and obviously we got 10 shots in the third period, but we need 30 shots a night. The effort was there and we changed some things in our systems and the team applied them well. 

"For us, you have to give credit where it's due and our defence was good. Our goaltending was good. In the third period when crunch time came, we outshot them by a large margin. This is one of those things, when you're developing and building your program, that is a step by step process. I know the team is frustrated and disappointed, as are we as coaches, but today was a solid game and now we have a good test next weekend against UBC."
 
UP NEXT 
TWU will now prepare to play UBC on the road Dec. 3 (12 p.m. PT) and Dec. 4 (3 p.m. PT) to finish the fall semester. 

About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 29 Canada West team championships.

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