2007 Women's Soccer Year in Review

Click here for audio interview with head coach Graham Roxburgh 

The Trinity Western University Spartans women’s soccer team finished 10th in the final 2007 CIS national poll, as they lost to the eventual Canada West Champion UBC Thunderbirds in the conference semi-finals. TWU finished fourth in the Canada West regular season standings with an overall record of 10-4-2, and was ranked as high as fourth nationally during the season, holding that spot for four of the first five weeks of the season.

Fifth year fullback Lindsay Rohla (Langley, B.C.), who led the team in assists with five and was second in team scoring with eight points, was named a Canada West first team all-star. Fellow fifth years Brittany Heinrich (Kelowna, B.C.) and the team’s leading scorer, striker Carlee O’Brien (Nanaimo, B.C.), were named to the Canada West second team, as was first year midfielder Melissa Mobilio (Coquitlam, B.C.). 

The Spartans went 6-1-1 in their first eight conference matches, outscoring their opponents 19-4 with five shutouts. O’Brien was named the Canada West player of the week for the week of September 10 after notching two goals in the team’s home victories opening weekend against Calgary on September 7, and Lethbridge September 8. Second year goalkeeper Veronika Rogina (Surrey, B.C.) also won the conference’s player of the week award for the week of September 24 after recording back-to-back home shutouts when TWU defeated Alberta 1-0 Sept. 22, and Saskatchewan 4-0 Sept. 23.

A tough three match road trip followed, where the Spartans suffered losses to UBC and Victoria, and the following week played to a 1-1 draw with UCFV. Back on their own pitch, TWU got back in the win column by beating the Cascades 3-0 in the second leg of the home-and-home series, and closed out the regular season with two road victories 4-2 at Calgary and 2-0 at Lethbridge on October 27 and 28.

TWU opened the Canada West playoffs with a home match against the fifth seeded Pronghorns, and for the third time this season the Spartans were victorious against them with a 3-1 win. O’Brien notched the game’s first goal right before the half, and would add another in the 63rd minute. Nine minutes later third year midfielder Andrea McLachlan (Maple Ridge, B.C.) sealed the Spartan victory with her only goal of the season. While the Pronghorns would spoil the shutout in injury time, TWU advanced to the Canada West semi-finals against #1 UBC, who the Spartans were 0-1-1 against during the year.

On a wet and slow pitch on UBC’s Point Grey campus, neither team could find the back of the net in the first half. Spartan second year defender Christine Walker (White Rock, B.C.) rifled a shot off the cross bar in the 24th minute, and keeper Rogina made a huge save off a header from UBC’s Canada West Player of the year and first team All-Canadian striker Stephanie Thibert (Vancouver) just before the half to keep the game scoreless. In the second half TWU continued  firing away while their stout defence kept the Thunderbirds at bay, but finally UBC’s All-Canadian midfielder Caitlin Davie (Tsawwassen, B.C.) notched the first goal of the match in the 81st minute. Despite a strong attack and three more big saves from Rogina, a UBC goal that deflected off a TWU defender in the 89th minute sealed the victory for the Thunderbirds, who would go onto win not only Canada West gold.

The Spartans were led this season by their five seniors, who were the last remaining players from the school’s 2004 National Championship team: Whitney Agassiz (Salmon Arm, B.C.), Heinrich, Erin Marie-Higgins (Surrey, B.C.), O’Brien, and Rohla. O’Brien led the team in scoring with 10 goals and 14 points, and finished as the school’s career leader in nine offensive categories, including goals (52), assists (25), and points (129). Rohla is TWU’s all-time leader in matches started (93) and minutes played (5451), is second in career assists (19), and finished fifth in goals (21) and points (61). All five women finished in the top 10 on the school’s career list of matches played and matches started, and make up the top five in minutes played, with Rohla, Heinrich (5130), and O’Brien (5084) being the only three Spartans to ever play more than 5000 minutes in their careers.

While the Spartans will certainly miss their graduating seniors, they will bring back a very strong team for the 2008 season, including Mobilio, McLachlan, Walker and Rogina, who each started at least 11 matches in 2007. Third year forward Dana DuMerton (Abbotsford, B.C.) started every match in 2007 while finishing second on the team with five goals, second year forward/midfielder Rebecca Ferguson (Calgary) was right behind her with four goals in 15 starts, first year forward Daniela Gerig (Langley, B.C.) notched three goals in just seven starts, and first year defender Carla Breadon (Vancouver) started in 10 of the 11 matches she appeared in.

TWU head coach Graham Roxburgh will also be adding another strong recruiting class for the coming year, which includes highly-touted recruits like forward Nikki Wright (Cloverdale, B.C.), midfielder Tessa Meyer (Surrey, B.C.), and goalkeeper Kristen Funk (Calgary).

In nine seasons at TWU (1999-present), Roxburgh has compiled an 84-61-27 record. Since joining the CIS in 2001, he has built the Spartans into one of the best women’s soccer programs in the country, winning the 2004 CIS National Championship, and winning the Canada West gold medal in 2004 and 2006. His Spartans club was also named the Sport BC Team of the Year and BC Soccer Team of the Year in 2005.

Roxburgh and Trinity Western will play host to the 2008 CIS Women’s Soccer Championships November 6-9, 2008.

-TW-
 

Last Updated: 2009-09-03
Author: Scott Stewart
Email: ssstew@twu.ca