WS-victoria-huddle
Justin Morash Photography
2
Winner Trinity Western TWU (1-0-0, 1-0-0)
1
Victoria VIC (0-1-0, 0-1-0)
Winner
Trinity Western TWU
(1-0-0, 1-0-0)
2
Final
1
Victoria VIC
(0-1-0, 0-1-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Trinity Western TWU 1 1 2
Victoria VIC 1 0 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

SPARTANS OPEN SEASON WITH SIGNATURE WIN

VICTORIA, British Columbia – Trinity Western's fourth-year forward Sophie Crowther (New Westminster, B.C.) played the hero for the visiting Spartans with two goals, including one in added time, to give TWU a 2-1 victory over the Victoria Vikes Friday evening at Centennial Stadium in Victoria, B.C.
 
Crowther's goals came in the 16th minute and the 90+ minute to pace the Spartans. Victoria's Taiya Scorey scored the lone goal for the Vikes in the 44th minute.
 
TWU third-year keeper Yasmine Pahal (Surrey, B.C.) was spectacular in net, making two point-blank saves to earn the win. Pahal finished with four saves, while Victoria's Stefanie Mocnik made six saves in the loss.
 
UP NEXT
TWU will now head back to the mainland to take on the UBC Thunderbirds tomorrow at 5 p.m. in Vancouver. TWU's Canada West home opener is against the UBC Okanagan Heat and the Thompson Rivers WolfPack on September 4-5.

QUOTABLE
Graham Roxburgh, TWU Head Coach
"Overall relieved. I thought, based on corners, possession, and momentum, we likely deserved to win, but Yas has made two great saves at crucial moments to win the game. "
 
"There was a lot of battle and duels all over the field, and we got into the game more as it progressed, but overall, we know we need to be better and can improve.  We had good performances from our two rookies Clara [Chudley] (defender, Victoria, B.C.) and Rihanna [MacDonald] (defender, Chilliwack, B.C.).  We will take the points as UVIC is a good team and hard to play against."
 
On Sophie Crowther:
"Pleased for Soph after a long lay off. She is so deserving of scoring those two goals, as she has worked so hard to get back, so I am really pleased for her."
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans Crowther opened the scoring in the 16th minute on a fine individual effort, beating several Victoria defenders in the box to put the ball high over the Vikes Mocnik to put TWU up 1-0. The Vikes Scorey got the equalizer late in the half with a shot from the top of the box that got over the hand of a leaping Pahal to send the match into the half knotted at 1-1. TWU had a 6-5 edge in total shots and a 6-3 edge in shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes.
 
TWU had the majority of the play in the second half, but were forced to play a player down for the final five minutes and injury time after Luciana Andrews was given a red card after a collision with Victoria's keeper Mocnik. The Spartans were able to create a couple of late corner kicks, with Crowther taking the last corner with seconds left in the match. From the left side, Crowther bent her corner high and into the far side of the Victoria net to give TWU the 2-1 win.
 
NOTABLE
  • The Spartans outshot the Vikes 11-7 in total shots and 8-5 in shots on goal.
  • TWU finished the match with 13 corners, while Victoria finished with two.
  • Crowther finished the evening with six total shots to lead all players.
  • Crowther is second all-time in TWU's shots per game with 3.24, trailing only Carlee O'Brien's ('07) 3.69.
  • The game-winning goal was Crowther's seventh in her Canada West career in conference play. Tied for ninth on the Spartans' all-time list with Rachel Hutchinson ('19).
  • TWU enters 2025 ranked No. 3 in the Canada West preseason coaches' poll. The Victoria Vikes are ranked No. 4.
  • TWU finished last season as Canada West Bronze medalist and an overall conference record of 8-4-2. Victoria earned a Canada West Silver, losing to UBC in the CW championships after finishing conference play with a 7-2-5 record.
  • TWU is currently 32-20-7 lifetime against Victoria. The Spartans were 1-1-1 against the Vikes last season, winning 3-0 in their last meeting at the U SPORTS consolation semi-final in Halifax, N.S.
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. 
 
-TW-
 
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