LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western earned its first win of the 2024-25 season with a 3-1 victory over No. 10-ranked Calgary Friday at the Langley Events Centre. 

The Spartans scored twice in the opening three minutes of the game to set the stage for a victorious night that saw TWU improve to 1-4 on the season. The loss drops Calgary to 3-3-1.

TWU netminder Kate Fawcett (Tottenham, Ont.) led the Spartans from the back end, as she made 37 saves in the win. Kara Yackel (St. Paul, Man.), Kyra McDonald (Inuvik, NWT) and Jace Scott (Llodyminster, Alta.) provided the offence as they each scored to help lead TWU to the win. 

Calgary's April Klarenbach was the Dinos lone goal-scorer, while Calgary goalie Amelia Awad made 21 saves in the loss. 

Yackel got the party started for the Spartans as she scored exactly one minute into the hockey game, whipping a back-hander top shelf off an end-to-end rush. 

Just over a minute later McDonald doubled the Spartans lead when she snapped home a shot off a two-on-one and the Spartans had their first two-goal output of the season. 

After a scoreless second period, captain Scott put the Spartans up 3-0 just 4:45 into the third period. 

Calgary's Klarenbach tallied scored at 8:46 of the final frame to round out the scoring. 

The win was a key one for TWU as the season is already setting up to be a battle between the Dinos and Spartans for the third and final playoff position in the West Division. 

TWU is now 3-7 all-time against Calgary. 

QUOTABLE
Peter Hay, TWU Head Coach
"I'm not surprised by this win, as we are a good team who plays the right way and the process has been outstanding, so I knew eventually the outcome of winning would eventually pay us back. Tonight, it did. It was a full team effort and everyone contributed and paid attention to the little details. We just need to make sure we don't give teams any opportunities, as we still haven't played a complete 60-minute game. For 10 minutes, if it wasn't for Fawcett, Calgary would have been back in the game. We will enjoy our first win of the year and get back to playing the right way again tomorrow to try to take the sweep. The second day is never easy, but we are ready."

NEXT UP
The Spartans and Dinos play the rematch Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre. 

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 34 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 CIS 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.  

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