LANGLEY, British Columbia –Trinity Western's fourth-year forward Sophie Crowther (New Westminster, B.C.) got her second game-winner against the Victoria Vikes in as many games to help the Spartans rally from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Vikes 3-2 Friday night at Chase Office Field in Langley, B.C. The win improves the Spartans to 3-2-0, while the loss drops the Vikes to 2-2-1.
 
The Vikes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before TWU tied the match at the half, with Crowther scoring the lone goal of the second half.
 
Scoring for the Spartans was rookie defender Rhianna MacDonald (Chilliwack, B.C.) with her first of the season, third-year forward Mansha Sidhu (Surrey, B.C.) with her second of the season, and Crowther with her third of the season. Scoring for the Vikes was Sydney Casidy with her first of the season, Taiya Scorey with her third of the season.
 
TWU third-year keeper Yasmine Pahal (Surrey, B.C.) made two saves in the Spartans' win. Victoria's McKenna Jaine made five saves in the Vikes' loss.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans will be back on the road again next week when they travel to Abbotsford, B.C., to take on the Fraser Valley Cascades on Friday, September 19. Match time is set for 7 p.m. (PT) at Rotary Stadium, and can be seen live on Canadawest.tv.
 
QUOTABLE
Graham Roxburgh, TWU Head Coach
"After such a poor start where I don't think anything went right, I'm super pleased that we found a way back into the game, and I'm super pleased for Rhianna MacDonald to score her first goal. After that, I thought we settled down and started to play, and I was relieved to be 2-2 at halftime. I thought the second half was more like who we are becoming, where we showed some resilience, we showed more possession, and actually played some nice soccer. I think Erin Stewart getting on the ball and playing us into spaces was crucial. I'm super pleased for Mansha because she was outstanding tonight, and what more can you say about Sophie Crowther? Simply put, special players do special things.
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Vikes opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Ruby Nicholas found Sydney Casidy on the left side of the box. Casidy one-timed the ball into the left side of the Spartans' net to put Victoria up 1-0. The Vikes doubled their lead 14 minutes later. A failed clearing attempt in the TWU box went off a Spartan to Scorey. Scorey gathered the ball and sent a shot towards the TWU net, which deflected high over Pahal and into the Spartans' net to put the Vikes up 2-0 in the 30th minute. The Spartans got on the board in the 36th minute off a TWU corner kick. From the right corner, fifth-year midfielder Erin Stewart (Winnipeg, Man.) sent the ball to the far post, where MacDonald battled with a Victoria defender to put the ball into the left side of the net and make it a one-goal deficit, trailing 2-1. The Spartans got the equalizer in added time on a penalty kick by Sidhu. TWU's Crowther sent Sidhu up the middle, where she was fouled to stop the attack. Sidhu took the penalty as the half ended with the Spartans and Vikes tied at 2-2.
 
TWU's Crowther got her third of the season when she picked up a failed Victoria clearing attempt and, from the centre of the penalty area, sent the ball into the left side of the Vikes' net to put TWU up 3-2 in the 56th minute. Both teams had chances over the remainder of the half, but neither was able to find the back of the net as TWU held on for the one-goal win.
 
 
NOTABLE

• The Spartans outshot the Vikes 14-12 in total shots and 8-4 in shots on goal.
• TWU finished with an 8-2 edge in corner kicks.
• The Spartans enter this weekend after splitting last week's road games. Beating the UBC Okanagan Heat 4-2 in Kelowna, B.C., and losing 2-1 to the Thompson Rivers WolfPack in Kamloops, B.C. 
• The Vikes enter this weekend after a bye week. The previous week, Victoria tied the UBC Okanagan Heat 0-0 in Kelowna, B.C., and defeated the Thompson Rivers WolfPack 1-0 in Kamloops.
• Earlier this year, the Spartans defeated the Vikes 2-1 on August 22 in Victoria, B.C., on Sophie Crother's extra-time corner kick game-winner. TWU is currently 33-20-7 lifetime against Victoria.

 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as in the NAIA in track and field and cross country and 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 33 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 U 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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