EDMONTON, Alberta – The No. 8 Trinity Western Spartans (8-4-2) took on the MacEwan Griffins (10-1-3) to open the Canada West post season with a 2-1 victory Friday night in Edmonton, Alta. The win sends the Spartans to the Canada West final four next weekend. It is TWU's 23rd Canada West Final Four appearance in the past 24 years.
 
Scoring for the Spartans was fourth-year midfielder Erin Stewart (Winnipeg, Man.) and second-year forward Mansha Sidhu (Surrey, B.C.). Scoring the lone goal for the Griffins was Ella Fownes.
 
TWU second-year keeper Yasmine Pahal (Surrey, B.C.) made five saves to earn the win. While MacEwan's Sabrina Alexander made five saves for the Griffins.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans will head to the Canada West semi-final where they will play the winner of the Alberta Pandas and the UBC Thunderbirds.
 
QUOTABLE
TWU head coach Graham Roxburgh
"I couldn't be more proud. That is a very aggressive team who go direct and have some dangerous players. Our back four played so well and I thought Kylie Hendricks (midfielder, Maple Ridge, B.C.) and Erin early on controlled the game. It takes everyone to win these battles because of different moments different players are required."
 
"Payton Izsak (forward, Prince Albert, Sask.) came back on and way a tower in the air and I thought Veronica Walter (midfielder, Calgary, Alta.) did it all but score. She was lively and dangerous."
 
"Every one of our back four tonight was a wall of strength and don't underestimate the role Maddie Melynchuk (midfielder, Langley, B,C,) played tonight. Dangerous. Reliable and in the end help us defend. So proud that we live another day. Our girls deserve that tonight."
 
AS IT HAPPENED
Trinity Western came out on the front foot and opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Claire Bastura's cross was punched away by Griffins goalkeeper Sabrina Alexander but landed at the boot of Erin Stewart who buried it.
 
MacEwan equalized in the 39th when Ella Fownes sent in a long-range free kick that bounced off a Trinity Western defender's head and past goalkeeper Yasmine Pahal.
 
But less than three minutes later, the Spartans were awarded a penalty kick and Mansha Sidhu made no mistake, rocketing the eventual game-winner home with authority.
 
The Griffins and Spartans traded big chances the rest of the game with Trinity Western's Veronica Walter hitting the post in the 53rd minute before defender Tilly James headed Brynn Hobal's 56th-minute blast bound for the top corner off the line.
 
TWU's Sidhu then hit iron again in the 78th.
 
MacEwan's last golden chance came in extra time as Anneke Odinga sent a low cross that painted a line five feet out and ran the whole crease, but no Griffin could get a boot on it.
 
NOTABLE

• The Griffins outshot the Spartans 15-14 in total shots, with both teams having seven shots on goal.
• TWU finished with 3-1 edge in corner kicks.
• The Spartans are currently 6-3-1 lifetime against the Griffins. In their last meeting TWU lost to MacEwan 3-2 in the 2021 U SPORTS national championship
• TWU is the defending Canada West champions and U SPORTS silver medalist.

 
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 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.
 
-TW-