LANGLEY, British Columbia – The No. 1 (CW coaches poll) UBC Thunderbirds used two first-half goals to defeat the No. 2 (CP) Trinity Western Spartans 2-0 in a tightly contested match Saturday evening at Chase Office Field in Langley, B.C. The win improves the Thunderbirds to 2-0, while the loss drops the Spartans to 1-1.
Scoring for the Thunderbirds Maddy Norman (Surrey, B.C.) (27'), and Shaden Al-Asad (Calgary, Alta.) (40')
TWU fourth-year keeper Yamine Pahal (Surrey, B.C.) made four saves and played the full match in the Spartans' loss; UBC's Emma Sparrow (Victoria, B.C.) played 90 minutes, making two saves to earn the shutout victory for the Thunderbirds.
QUOTABLE
Graham Roxburgh, TWU Head Coach
"It's disappointing to play so poorly. I think from the first 20 mins we lacked composure and were flat overall. The two goals we gave away were so elementary, and we got punished for indecision and hesitation, and our compete level was second best. We will have to get better."
UP NEXT
The Spartans will now head on the road to face the UNBC Timberwolves on Friday, September 11, in Prince George, B.C., and the Victoria Vikes on Sunday, September 13, in Victoria, B.C. Fans can watch both matches live on Canada West TV.
AS IT HAPPENED
Pahal was tested early by the Thunderbirds, making saves on Jayda Thompson in the 5th minute and a Shaden Al-Asad header at 15 minutes. The Spartans pushed forward with a
Lianna Holz shot in the 22nd minute and a
Mansha Sidhu corner in the 24th minute but couldn't find the target. The Thunderbirds opened the scoring in the 27th minute when Maddy Norman scored off an assist from Thompson in a goalmouth scramble off a free kick. The Thunderbirds added pressure later in the half with three Felicia Hanisch corner kicks in a 71-second span. Al-Asad scored in the 38th minute with Zoelle Apps assisting to make it 2-0, on another goalmouth scramble from a free kick. Holz had a shot blocked at 43:05 after Hanisch was booked, and the Thunderbirds carried the 2-0 lead into halftime.
Early in the second half, the Spartans pushed for a response while down 2-0, with
Luciana Andrews missing wide in the 48th minute,
Kylie Hendricks forcing a save from Sparrow in the 53rd minute, and
Clara Chudley shooting high in the 58th minute. The Thunderbirds earned a corner in the 60th minute, but the Spartans continued to create chances as
Jenna Rizzo and Andrews sent attempts high before
Charis Wardrope put a shot on target in the 72nd minute. Pahal kept the Thunderbirds from adding to the margin with saves on Brooke Birnie in the 83rd minute and Jayda Thompson in added time, while Hannah Bains sent a penalty kick off the TWU left post in added time.
Emily Watchman delivered a late Spartans corner in added time, but neither side scored in the half as the Thunderbirds finished off the 2-0 result.
NOTABLE
- The Thunderbirds outshot the Spartans 12-8 in total shots, and 6-2 in shots on goal
- UBC had a 6-2 edge in corner kicks.
- Last night the Spartans defeated the Fraser Valley Cascades 1-0 in their Canada West home opener, while the Thunderbirds defeated the UBC Okanagan Heat 3-0 on the road in Kamloops, B.C.
- TWU was ranked No. 2 in the Canada West preseason coaches' poll, while UBC was ranked No. 1.
- The Spartans are now 20-36-12 lifetime against the Thunderbirds, and 12-24-11 in Canada West Conference play.
- TWU's last win over the Thunderbirds was a 1-0 (6-5) shootout win in the Canada West Gold Medal match on November 3, 2023.
- The Spartans' last win in conference play over the Thunderbirds was a 1-0 road win on October 15, 2021.
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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