LANGLEY, British Columbia – The No. 3 Trinity Western Spartans had to settle for a 1-1 draw after a back-and-forth match with the Victoria Vikes Friday night at Chase Office Field in Langley, B.C. The draw moves the Spartans to 2-0-1, and the Vikes to 2-1-1. 

TWU second-year keeper Yasmine Pahal (Surrey, B.C.) made five saves to earn the tie. While Victoria's Kayley Lidstone made three saves for the Vikes.  

UP NEXT 

The Spartans will finish the weekend two game set when they host the Mount Royal Cougars for a solo match Saturday night. Game time at Chase Office Field is set for 6 p.m. (PT). 

AS IT HAPPENED 

The Vikes had much of the play in the opening 15 minutes with a 3-0 edge in shots on goal. But as the half progressed Trinity Western started to create opportunities.  

The Spartans opened the scoring in the 41st minute. The goal started from the left side of the offensive end, when second-year defender Jenna Rizzo (Surrey, B.C.) sailed a cross to far right side of the Victoria penalty area. Where waiting third-year midfielder Sophie Crowther (New Westminster, B.C.) one timed the ball past a diving Lidstone into the far-left corner of the Vikes net. 

TWU finished the half with a 1-0 lead and a 6-2 edge in corner kicks, while Victoria had the edge in shots on goal 4-2, and total shots 7-6. 

Victoria's Ruby Nicholas had a quality chance in the 48th minute, but her attempt from the top of the box went high over the Spartans net. 

TWU's fourth-year forward Charity Field (Burnaby, B.C.) almost got a second for the Spartans, but she was unable to find the target as she sent a ball over the bar from the centre of the penalty area in the 58th minute.  

Victoria's Ruby Nichols almost got the Vikes on the board in the 66th minute, but her shot from the centre  of the TWU box was stopped by a leaping Pahal.  

The Vikes got the tying goal two minutes later when Nicholas' found Sophie Murphy on the far side of the box where she found the far open side of the Spartans net to tie the game 1-1 in the 68th minute. 

Both teams had quality chances in the final minutes, but neither were able to find the back of the net as the match ended in a 1-1 tie. 

NOTABLE 

• The Spartans outshot the Vikes 15-13, while Victoria had a 6-4 edge in shots on goal.  

• TWU finished with 13-5 edge in corner kicks. 

• Last weekend TWU defeated TRU 2-1 in Kamloops, B.C. And UBC Okanagan 1-0 in Kelowna, B.C.  

• Last week Victoria was at home where they lost to No. 1 UBC 5-0 and defeated UNBC 4-1. 

• The Spartans are currently 30-19-7 lifetime against the Vikes. In their last meeting TWU defeated Victoria 2-0 in the Canada West semi-final last November at UBC. Earlier that season in conference play the Spartans split with the Vikes, losing 1-0 at home, and winning 4-1 in Victoria, B.C. 

• TWU is currently 7-1-2 against Victoria in their last 10 match-ups. 

• Since 2014 the Spartans are 9-1-2 at Chase Office Field against the Vikes.  

• TWU is the defending Canada West champions and U SPORTS silver medalist. Prior to the start of tonight's match TWU raised their 2023 Championship banner. 

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-