LANGLEY, British Columbia – Fifth-year forward
Sophie Crowther (New Westminster, B.C.) broke the Trinity Western career points record, while fourth-year forward
Luciana Andrews (Coquitlam, B.C.) had two goals and an assist to lead the Spartans to a 5-0 win over the UBC Okanagan Heat Friday night at Chase Office Field in Langley, B.C.
Crowther's 27th-minute goal gives her 59 career Canada West points, surpassing former Spartan Seina Kashima's record of 58. The win improves the Spartans to 6-3-2 in conference play, while the loss drops the Heat to 2-7-2.
Scoring for the Spartans were fourth-year forward
Mansha Sidhu (Surrey, B.C.) (3'), Andrews (8', 31'), Crowther (27'), and fifth-year midfielder
Kylie Hendricks (Maple Ridge, B.C.) (35'). Sidhu and Hendricks each finished with a goal and an assist.
TWU fifth-year goalkeeper
Yasmine Pahal (Surrey, B.C.) made one save in a full 90 minutes to earn her sixth shutout of the season and 24th career Canada West victory, the third-most in Spartan history. Allyson Ford made four saves for the Heat in the loss.
UP NEXT
The Spartans will host the second-place Thompson Rivers WolfPack tomorrow at Chase Office Field in Langley, B.C., in a battle for second place in the Pacific Division and home-field advantage in the opening round of the Canada West playoffs. Match time is set for 5 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on Canada West TV.
AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans needed just over two minutes to open the scoring, with Sidhu finishing a pass from Hendricks at 2:20 to give TWU a 1-0 lead. TWU kept pressing, with Ford stopping another Sidhu attempt before
Kate Paukovic hit the crossbar in the fifth minute. Andrews doubled the Spartans' lead in the eighth minute with her second goal of the season, stealing the ball from the Heat keeper inside the six-yard box.
Crowther's record-breaking goal came in the 27th minute, scoring off a pass from Sidhu to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead. Andrews added her second of the night in the 31st minute, converting a pass from
Sidney Giesbrecht to extend the lead to four. Andrews then set up Hendricks in the 35th minute as TWU built a 5-0 advantage after Hendricks sent a high shot over the Heat keeper and into the top corner of the net.
The Heat threatened late in the half, with Neala Peters hitting the post in the 42nd minute before Pahal stopped a Maria Georgacacos header just before the break. The Spartans finished the opening half with a 12-2 edge in total shots and an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal.
TWU made seven substitutions at halftime and continued to control the match. Ford stopped
Veronica Walter early in the second half, while the Spartans generated nine shots over the final 45 minutes. TWU held UBC Okanagan without a second-half shot to secure the five-goal shutout win.
NOTABLE
- The Spartans outshot the Heat 21-2 in total shots and 9-1 in shots on goal.
- TWU finished with a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.
- Crowther's 59 career Canada West points move her into fourth place outright in conference history, ahead of Kashima and Calgary's Tessa Miller, who each finished with 58.
- Andrews scored on both of her shots, finishing with two goals and an assist for a three-point night.
- Sidhu's opening goal was her team-leading sixth of the season. Andrews and Crowther each scored their third, while Hendricks scored her first.
- Pahal's 24 career Canada West wins rank third in TWU history behind Kristen Funk (43) and Hannah Miller (39).
- The Spartans have won all three conference meetings with the Heat this season, winning 4-1 and 6-0 in Kelowna before tonight's 5-0 victory in Langley.
- TWU will look to reverse a 1-0 loss to Thompson Rivers at Chase Office Field on October 3 when the teams meet again tomorrow.
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 15 U SPORTS team championships and 35 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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