KAMLOOPS, British Columbia – Trinity Western third-year midfielder
Sophie Crowther (New Westminster, B.C.) scored in added time to complete the Spartans rally as TWU opened the Canada West season with a 2-1 win over the Thompson Rivers WolfPack Friday night at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops, BC. The win moves the Spartans to 1-0 while the loss drops the WolfPack to 0-2-0.
In addition to Crowther, TWU fifth-year forward
Payton Izsak (Prince Albert, Sask.) scored for the Spartans, while Alexis Virgo scored the lone goal for the WolfPack.
TWU second-year keeper
Yasmine Pahal (Surrey, B.C.) made five saves to earn the win. While TRU's Cassandra De Amaral made four saves in the WolfPack loss.
UP NEXT
The Spartans will finish the Okanagan road trip Saturday evening at UBC Okanagan. Game time at Nonis Field in Kelowna, B.C. is set for 5:30 p.m.
QUOTABLE
Trinity Western Head Coach Graham Roxburgh
"Obviously relieved to come away with the win when we weren't at our best. Credit to TRU, they made it a tough aggressive game and are effective at their system. I felt that at times we started to get our legs going and we made good decisions in stages that led to our chances, but overall we made things a bit more difficult on ourselves by playing into what they wanted."
"
Danielle Cooper (third-year defender, Surrey, B.C.) was very, very good and dealt with a very good player from TRU. Overall we found a way and Soph was clinical with her finish. Yas made some saves that kept us alive when we were flat or naïve. She is a big-time keeper that is only going to get better."
AS IT HAPPENED
The WolfPack opened the match strong with two consecutive corner kicks. On the second one, TRU's Bella Geremia found Virgo on the far side of the box. Virgo volleyed the ball into the far side of the net to put the WolfPack up 1-0 in the 3rd minute of play.
The Spartans got on the board when Crowther took the ball down the left side of the park and sent a square ball to third-year midfielder Kyle Hendricks (Maple Ridge, B.C.). Hendricks one-timed the ball, which a TRU defender blocked, but Izsak took the rebound and finished into the bottom left corner to tie the match, 1-1, in the 13th minute.
TWU fourth-year forward
Charity Field (Burnaby, B.C.) looked like she had put TWU up in the 30th minute. But her goal to the top of the WolfPack net was called off for a foul before her strike from the top left side of the penalty area.
TWU's Pahal made three saves in the final minutes of the opening half to keep the two teams tied at 1-1 after the opening 45 minutes.
Both teams had quality chances in the second half, with TWU being more dangerous in the late minutes. De Amaral made multiple saves to keep the Spartans from taking the lead.
The Spartan game-winner came in extra time when TWU first-year forward
Veronica Walter (Calgary, AB) got a ball in the box on a back pass. Walter hit a hard shot that De Amaral could stop, but the rebound went to Crowther in the middle of the penalty area. Crowther sent a high shot off the crossbar, which went down and bounced into the WolfPack's net to give TWU the 2-1 win.
NOTABLE
- The Spartans outshot the WolfPack 10-9 in total shots, and 7-6 in shots on goal.
- TWU had an 8-5 edge in corner kicks.
- TWU is ranked No. 3 (U SPORTS Top 10) and No. 2 (CW coaches' poll) while Thompson Rivers is ranked No. 9 (CW).
- The Spartans are currently 12-0-1 lifetime against the WolfPack and defeated TRU 4-0 in their lone matchup last season at Chase Office Field in Langley, B.C.
- In their last meeting in Kamloops, B.C., on September 23, 2022, the teams tied 0-0.
- TWU is the defending Canada West champions and U SPORTS silver medalist.
- The Spartans won't have their home opener until September 13 when they host the Mount Royal Cougars for a solo weekend match on Friday night.
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-
