LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western won their first game in program history this Friday, defeating Saskatchewan 1-0 on Friday at the George Preston Recreation Centre. Jadeyn Kasting (Medicine Hat, Alta.) posted a 31-save shutout in her first start of the 2021-22 season, while
Neisha Germann (Lloydminster, Alta.) sealed the deal in overtime to hand the Spartans their first win in program history.
TWU's (1-4-0) first Canada West win in the program's short history came against a strong Saskatchewan (2-1-2) team who were stifled by Kasting. The second-year goaltender was impossible to beat.
As the game's stint of regulation play led to a scoreless finish, giving the Spartans a chance at an overtime victory. The first period of overtime did not see the game's scoreless tie break, sending the game to second one.
With team captain
Neisha Germann heading to the penalty box for a penalty alongside two Huskies, the Spartans were still unable to score on the power play.
Germann's tenure in the penalty box ended, giving her a clear route to the net as
Jordyn Matthews (Okotoks, Alta.) put a shot on net. Germann continued to hustle to Saskatchewan's net as
Ashlee Wolfe (Holdbein, Sask.) snatched up the rebound from Matthews' shot to put one of her own on net. Germann, who had made her way to the opposing crease by this time, had nothing but a yawning net to shoot at, stealing a victory for the Spartans with a tap-in.
Cheering intermingled with the goal-horn blaring at the George Preston Recreation Centre as the Spartans cleared the bench to congratulate Germann, who had just made history for TWU women's hockey.
NOTABLE
- This was a special night for the entire TWU women's hockey roster as they all contributed to a historical moment that will stand in Spartans history forever. Friday's victory was especially memorable for third-year defender Chelsea DeBusschere (Lloydminster, Alta.), who played against her former team on this night. Debusschere played at Saskatchewan for two seasons, bringing her valuable Canada West experience to the ice for the Spartans in the 2021-22 season as a transfer.
- Although first-year goaltenders Kate Fawcett (Tottenham, Ont.) and Mabel Maltais (Edmonton) have put forth outstanding performances to start the season, head coach Jean Laforest gave the nod to Jadeyn Kasting. This performance continues an incredibly strong run of goaltending for the Spartans. With a young and inexperienced program, Kasting's 31-save shutout stands as the most notable performance the Spartans in the early stages of their inaugural season.
QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Jean Laforest
"It was great to get the first one under our belt in dramatic fashion. Double overtime, a shutout, it was exciting. The girls were really happy. It felt like something out of a script with our captain scoring the game-winning goal. It was a really nice win with a lot of sidebar stories that make it that much more special.
"We had some conversations with our team, and we felt that the first four scores weren't reflective of what our capabilities are as a team. We had a couple of those games get away from us, so we concentrated a lot on defence and special teams. The winning goal was on a power play and our penalty kill was perfect tonight, so the girls are working and focussed.
"We knew that we needed to be better in our puck management and outwork them tonight. The team executed our gameplan really well."
UP NEXT
The Spartans are heading to the Langley Events Centre to play Saskatchewan at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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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