VANCOUVER – In a match featuring the top two teams in the Canada West Preseason Coaches Poll, Trinity Western lost 1-0 against UBC Sunday at Thunderbird Stadium. 

Hannah Miller (Langley, B.C.) made three saves for TWU, who were ranked second in the preseason poll, and the Spartans put five shots on target offensively, but a 49th-minute goal from the T-Birds Bailey Doerksen helped UBC to the win. 

Statistically, TWU had the advantage, with a 5-4 edge in shots and an 8-4 advantage in corners. 

QUOTABLE
Graham Roxburgh, TWU Head Coach
"Overall, we were disappointed in the end with just how we missed an opportunity to generate better chances. It wasn't a game of great chances on either side, but those types of hotly-contested games take one special moment and their player hit a rocket. We generated one or two good chances later on and had some desperation but overall we let one get away from us today. I thought we dealt really well with the fact that UBC played very direct. I thought Dani Cooper (Surrey, B.C.) had an excellent game. Tilly James (Vancouver) was very solid. In the end, those games come down to moments and we didn't have enough of them and they capitalized on one great moment. We'll learn and we'll grow through it, but we have to be better and, corporately, we have to be better to generate more chances."

AS IT HAPPENED
The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock in the first half came in the 18th minute when Sophie Damian sent a corner into the near post, which Olivia Kranjcec (Okotoks, Alta.) looked to clear. Somehow the ball ran under her and through to the back post where Mya Bajpai (Mission, B.C.) was on hand to clear the danger off the goalline.
 
Trinity Western's best opportunities came from set piece with Erin Stewart's (Winnipeg) delivery causing no end of problems in the UBC box and forcing Dakota Beckett to punch away, first from a corner and then from an inswinging free kick.
 
Reehal had the last chance of the half, cutting inside to fire a shot off from inside the box, but it was easily dealt with by Hannah Miller.
 
It only took five minutes of the second half for the stalemate to be broken when Holly Whelan played the ball forward to Doerksen, who took a touch inside to make room for the shot before unleashing a delightful dipping shot that flew over the head of Spartans goalkeeper Miller and into the net for the opening goal of the game.
 
Whelan herself had a looping effort that went wide just past the hour mark, before the Spartans came within Dakota Beckett's fingertips of levelling the match in the 66th minute when the Thunderbirds keeper touched Sophie Crowther's shot past the post for a corner,
 
Mansha Sidhu (Surrey, B.C.) nearly tied things up in the 79th minute when Bryana Buttar (Abbotsford, B.C.) cut the ball back to her in front of goal but the rookie pulled her shot wide left.
 
Vanessa Tome had a great opportunity to seal the deal for UBC when she was played in with three minutes remaining, rounded Miller but put her shot inches past the right post with the goal gaping.
 
TWU turned up the pressure late but were unable to equalize. 

NOTABLE
•    The Spartans opened the season with a win and a loss, having earned a 4-0 victory over UNBC in Prince George, B.C. on Friday night. 
•    TWU's Sierra Halldorson (Winnipeg) and Sophie Crowther (New Westminster, B.C.) led the Spartans with three shots apiece. 

UP NEXT
The Spartans will host their home-opener Sept. 2 against UFV at Chase Office Field. Kick-off is at 5 p.m. 

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 and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 33 Canada West team championships.

About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in U SPORTS. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.  

-TW-