LANGLEY, British Columbia – Despite finishing with a 14-7 advantage in total shots and a commanding 15-1 edge in corner kicks, the No. 10 Trinity Western Spartans were unable to find the back of the net in a 1-0 loss to the Thompson Rivers WolfPack Saturday evening at Chase Office Field in Langley, B.C. The loss drops the Spartans to 5-3-2, while the WolfPack remain undefeated and improve to 4-0-3.
Second-year midfielder Sara Kuusimäki (Vantaa, Finland) scored the lone goal of the match in the 67th minute. First-year midfielder Allison Hill (Kamloops, B.C.) earned the assist.
TWU fifth-year goalkeeper
Yasmine Pahal (Surrey, B.C.) made one save while playing the full 90 minutes. Thompson Rivers second-year goalkeeper Floor Ursem made two saves to earn her fifth shutout of the season and the ninth of her Canada West career, extending her WolfPack program record.
UP NEXT
The Spartans will have next weekend off before returning to Chase Office Field for their final two regular-season home matches. TWU will host the UBC Okanagan Heat on Friday, October 16, and the Thompson Rivers WolfPack on Saturday, October 17. Both matches begin at 5 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on Canada West TV.
AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans controlled possession and generated the majority of the attacking opportunities throughout the opening half. TWU finished the first 45 minutes with a 7-3 advantage in total shots and earned all seven of the half's corner kicks. TWU's best shot on target came in the 27th minute when fifth-year midfielder
Kylie Hendricks (Maple Ridge, B.C.) forced Ursem to make a save. The Spartans had a golden opportunity to take the lead late in the half after being awarded a penalty kick when fifth-year forward
Sophie Crowther (New Westminster, B.C.) was taken down in the Thompson River penalty area. Fourth-year forward
Mansha Sidhu (Surrey, B.C.) stepped to the spot in the 43rd minute, but her attempt went off of the post and out of play as the teams entered halftime scoreless.
TWU continued to apply pressure early in the second half, earning two corner kicks and generating four shots over the opening nine minutes. Pahal made her lone save of the match in the 51st minute when she stopped Thompson Rivers forward Kat Stewart's attempt. The WolfPack broke the deadlock at 66:39. Hill set up Kuusimäki, who broke up the left side and found the far right side of the TWU net with her second goal of the season to give Thompson Rivers a 1-0 lead. TWU nearly responded in the 72nd minute, but Ursem stopped fifth-year defender
Mya Bajpai's (Mission, B.C.) shot to preserve the WolfPack advantage. The Spartans looked like they had tied the match in the 81 minute when second-year defender
Rhianna MacDonald (Chilliwack, B.C.) headed a free kick from Crowther into the back of the net. Unfortunately, for the Spartans, MacDonald was ruled offside, and the score remained 1-0 in favor of the WolfPack. The Spartans continued to press for the equalizer and earned six corner kicks after the Thompson Rivers goal, including one in the final seconds. However, the WolfPack defence held firm to secure the 1-0 road victory.
NOTABLE
- TWU outshot Thompson Rivers 14-7 overall, while both teams finished with two shots on goal.
- The Spartans held a 15-1 advantage in corner kicks, including a 7-0 edge in the opening half.
- TWU generated seven shots in each half.
- The WolfPack have conceded only two goals through seven matches and have recorded five shutouts.
- Thompson Rivers' 4-0-3 record marks the best seven-match start in the program's Canada West history.
- TWU is now 14-3-1 all-time against Thompson Rivers, including 7-2-0 at home and 12-3-1 in Canada West conference play.
- Thompson Rivers has won two of its last five visits to Langley, with both victories coming by 1-0 scores.
- The Spartans defeated the WolfPack 2-1 in Langley on September 26, 2025, in the teams' previous meeting.
- Sophie Crowther remains at 56 career Canada West points, two behind Seina Kashima's TWU record of 58. Crowther's 36 career assists are four behind Kashima's Canada West and TWU record of 40.
- Pahal remains third in TWU history with 23 career Canada West victories.
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 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.
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