VIDEO: WOMEN’S SOCCER HOSTS FRASER VALLEY AND VICTORIA

WOMEN’S SOCCER (CANADA WEST)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WOMEN’S SOCCER HOSTS FRASER VALLEY AND VICTORIA

LANGLEY, British Columbia – The Spartans women’s soccer will look to stop a three-game winless streak as they take on Fraser Valley Friday and Victoria Saturday. Trinity Western’s women’s team has never gone four games without a win and will hope to turn last weekend’s tide back on Fraser Valley in order to avoid the historic streak. Kickoff for both games is 5:00 p.m.
 
Watch the games live HERE and follow the live stats HERE.



SPARTANS (5-2-1)
CIS Ranking: No. 7
Canada West Standing: No. 2 (tied)
Last Week: Victoria 1-1 T, Fraser Valley 2-1 L
Streak: 1 Loss
2009 conference record: 11-2-1 (1st)
2009 CW Championship: 1-1 (2nd)
2009 CIS Championship: 3-0 (1st)
Last CW title: 2008
Last CIS title: 2009
TWU Lifetime vs Fraser Valley: 4-1-4
TWU Lifetime vs. Victoria: 7-16-2

After a road weekend in which the Trinity Western women  tied Victoria (1-1) and lost to Fraser Valley (2-1), the Spartans return home for a pair of games looking to get back on track.

The Spartans are now winless in their last three games and will be looking to avoid a dubious distinction Friday night as, since entering the CIS in 2002, no TWU women’s soccer team has ever gone winless in four games in Canada West action.

Since starting the season with five straight wins that saw them only give up one goal total, TWU has allowed six goals in its last three games. But despite the team’s struggles of late, the Spartans are still tied for second in the Canada West standings, they are still third in goals against average (0.88) and are still tied for third in goals for per game (1.88).

And leading the offence all year has been the trio of Nikki Wright, Alicia Tesan and Daniela Gerig. Wright is third in CW in shots per game with 3.86 and is 10th in points with four (tied with Natalie Boyd for third on the team). Gerig is tied for sixth in CW with 3.12 shots per game, is tied for fifth in goals with three (and the tied for the team lead with Tesan) and is tied for third in assists with three. And Tesan is alone in fifth in CW with 0.43 goals per game.

In the middle, mainstays Natalie Boyd and Nikki Byrne have worked with a foursome that includes Rebecca Ferguson, Tessa Meyer, Jenna Di Nunzio and Melissa Mobilio. This grouping has been a solid unit and has provided coach Graham Roxburgh with some valuable options in the midfield.

On the back line, the quartet of Kristen Santema (started all eight games), Alexi Foster (started all eight games), Jilian Dietrich (started all six games she’s played) and Colleen Webber (started all six games she’s played) has become the go-to unit for Roxburgh.

In goal, Kristen Funk has started the last three games and now has a 0.80 goals against average (2nd in CW), a .862 save percentage (2nd in CW) and two shutouts (tied for 3rd in CW). Veronika Rogina has started the other three games, her last being a 3-2 loss to Alberta, and has a 1.00 GAA (4th in CW), a .700 save percentage (11th in CW) and two shutouts (tied for 3rd in CW).

CASCADES (3-3-0)
CIS Ranking: N/A
Canada West Standing: 6th (tied)
Last Week: UBC 2-0 W, Trinity Western 2-1 W
Streak: 2 W
2009 CW Record: 5-5-4, 7th
2009 CW Tournament N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Fraser Valley Lifetime vs TWU: 1-4-4

The Cascades come to Rogers Park riding an incredible high after last weekend beating both UBC (2-0) and Trinity Western (2-1) for the first time since entering the CIS.

The win last weekend over Trinity Western proved that Fraser Valley is most definitely on the Canada West map and the strength of the team has been defence. Through six games, UFV is tied for fourth in Canada West with a 1.17 goals against average and, in doing so, have only forced goalkeeper Chantelle Biagioni to make 4.83 saves per game (5th lowest in CW).

Biagioni has played every game so far and is fifth in CW in both GAA (1.17) and save percentage (.806) and is tied for third with two shutouts.

The Cascades defensive unit has most recently seen the play of Daneille Schmidt, Caitlin Blondin and Lyndsay Munro carrying the load.

Offensively, Fraser Valley has been a genuine variety pack as the Cascades have scored six goals by six different players and not one player has more than one point on the season.

Forward Ellen Kuyer leads the team in shots with 10 (her 2.83 shots per game is good for 10th in CW) while Danika Snook is second with six. In the Cascades two most recent wins, it was Carly Neeson, Schmidt, Blondin and Kuyer scoring goals.

As a team, the Cascades are seventh in CW scoring with 1.00 goals per game and fifth in shots per game with 10.67.

VIKES (2-1-3)
CIS Ranking: N/A
Canada West Standing: 6th (tied)
Last Week: Trinity Western 1-1 T, UBC 3-0 L
Streak: 1 L
2009 CW Record: 9-2-3, 2nd
2009 CW Tournament: 4th
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: 2008
Last CIS Title: 2005
Victoria Lifetime vs. TWU: 16-7-2

Victoria started the season on a five game undefeated streak (2-0-3) before losing to UBC 3-0 last Sunday afternoon.

Although the Vikes had yet to lose before Sunday’s game against the Thunderbirds, Victoria wasn’t exactly torching the Canada West competition.

Through six games, the Vikes have scored seven goals and allowed seven goals as they’ve hung with most teams but haven’t been able to put many of them away.

Victoria’s defence has been the key to the success they’ve had this year as the Vikes have given up 1.17 goals per game (tied for 4th in CW) and, before Sunday’s loss to UBC, they hadn’t given up more than one goal in any game this year.

Goalie Stephanie Parker has started in five games this season and has a 1.20 goals against average (6th in CW), a .786 save percentage (6th in CW) and has the Vikes only clean sheet of the year. Tanya Jones played one game between the woodwork and allowed one goal, made five saves and earned a draw for the Vikes.

Offensively, Victoria has been led by midfielder Jaclyn Sawicki who has two goals and 11 shots in six games. Midfielder Kaitlyn Hunter also has two goals for Victoria while Jacqueline Harrison and Jamie Delia have each scored singles.

The Vikes have averaged a league-low 7.33 shots per game and are sixth in CW with 1.17 goals per game.

Last Updated: 2010-10-06
Author: Mark Janzen