LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western drew 1-1 to Fraser Valley on Saturday, leaving the rivalry weekend with four points taken home.
 
The Spartans remain undefeated, sporting a record of 2-0-4.
 
Friday's match was an important three points for the Spartans, but Fraser Valley came out of the gates fuelled by the previous loss, channeling that energy into Saturday's tilt.
 
With the beginning of the game heavily tilted in Fraser Valley's favour, the road team struck first off a 7^th minute goal by Taylor Richardson. Fraser Valley's goal served as somewhat of a wakeup call for the slow-starting Spartans, who started to create chances and take calculated risks. Second-year forward Soren Di Sabatino (Langley, B.C.) brought energy to Trinity Western's attacking third, putting pressure on the opposing defence through his persistence on the press, and on the ball.
 
With neither side giving an inch throughout the majority of the game, first-year midfielder Thomas Powell (Coquitlam, B.C.) took matters into his own hands, dribbling past two Fraser Valley defenders, then powering the ball home from 20 yards out.
 
With Powell's goal tying the game, a Spartan victory seemed inevitable as momentum shifted in the home side's favour. Still, Fraser Valley fought to keep the game in balance, threatening to take the victory at times throughout the final 30 minutes of the match.
 
NOTABLE

• Alex Cordeiro impressed again, stepping into the big shoes left to fill by injured goalkeeper Sebastian Colyn (Langley, B.C.).
• Thomas Powell scored his first goal in a Spartans uniform on Saturday. The technically-gifted central midfielder is one of four first-year Spartans who have scored their Canada West marker.
• After the weekend, the Spartans sit at a tie with Thompson Rivers for first place in Canada West's western conference with 10 points.

 
QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Mike Shearon
"I don't think we came out and matched their intensity. Our first half wasn't what we wanted and they came out way harder than us.
 
"We did well to come back and get a draw. We could have had more at the end, but we didn't and we just need to move forward and take care of business next week."
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans travel to Kamloops, B.C. to play a two-game series against Thompson Rivers (Oct. 1^st, Oct. 2^nd)
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in men's hockey and as an independent team in men's rugby. The men's and women's hockey programs will begin playing in Canada West and U SPORTS in 2020-21. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 27 Canada West team championships and two BCIHL championships.
 
-TW-