WOMEN’S SOCCER HOSTS MANITOBA FRIDAY, REGINA SATURDAY

WOMEN’S SOCCER (CANADA WEST)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011
WEEKEND PREVIEW

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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WOMEN’S SOCCER HOSTS MANITOBA FRIDAY, REGINA SATURDAY


LANGLEY, British Columbia – The Trinity Western University women’s soccer team will look to get its first win of the year this weekend as they host Manitoba Friday and Regina Saturday. After losing to UBC 1-0 in their home opener, the Spartans will be a motivated bunch this weekend as they try to get things rolling at Rogers Park. Both games start at 5:00 p.m.

Click here to watch the game live.

TRINITY WESTERN SPARTANS

CIS Ranking: 9th
Canada West Standing: 0-1-0 (8th)
Last Week: UBC 1-0 L
Streak: 1 Loss
2010 CW Record: 9-3-2, 2nd
2010 CW Tournament: 4th
2010 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: 2009
Last CIS Title: 2009

The Spartans enter this weekend’s games looking to get back on track after a disappointing 1-0 home loss to UBC in their season opener last Saturday.

Entering this year, the Spartans had high hopes for a squad that just might be the most talented women’s soccer team Trinity Western has ever had. With depth at every position and having only lost one starter from last year, there’s no reason to believe this Spartans team can’t be amongst the best teams in Canada. Now it’s time to show it.

For the Spartans, it took until UBC scored the game’s first, and ultimately only, goal before they really stepped up their intensity and started taking the play to the visiting Thunderbirds. Twelve of the Spartans 14 shots came in the final 25 minutes after they were already down a goal.

While they had their chances to tie the match, notably a pair of well-earned opportunities from Daniela Gerig, the Spartans were unable to beat the Thunderbirds keeper.

The Spartans back line, comprised of Nikki Byrne, Jilian Dietrich, Colleen Webber and Jennifer Castillo – all of which played the full 90 minutes – was TWU’s lone bright spot as they did well to hold UBC to just the one goal on 15 shots and three corners.

The midfield, a unit that typically is a strength, saw quite a bit of in-game shuffling as coach Graham Roxburgh brought players in and out looking for the right combo but in the end was unable to discover a victorious recipe Saturday night. Captain Melissa Mobilio was the lone midfielder to play 90 minutes.

Up front, first-year forward Sarah-Kim Bergeron started in her first Canada West regular game, played 74 minutes, had two shots on net and looked dangerous at times. Although the Spartans have a number of dynamic strikers, Bergeron looked right at home in her conference debut.

After this weekend, the Spartans next four games are on the road, so getting wins this weekend is imperative if they hope to keep up with the best in Canada West.

MANITOBA BISONS

CIS Ranking: N/A
Canada West Standing: 9th (tied)
Last Week: UFV 2-1 L, Victoria 2-0 L
Streak: 2 Losses
2010 CW Record: 1-9-4, 9th
2010 CW Tournament: N/A
2010 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A

After a one win season last year in which the Bisons waded near the bottom of the standings all season, Manitoba is looking to be a much improved side this year and one that has aspirations of making the playoffs.

While going from a one-win year to making the playoffs may seem like a sizable leap, for a squad that really didn’t lose any key players from last years’ team, it’s not an unfathomable proposition. Although the team’s lone victory came against a Lethbridge squad that was the only team worse than the Bisons in the final standings, Manitoba hopes to turn things around this year.

And despite losing their first two games of the regular season, there is still plenty of hope for the Bisons. But if their first trip out west is anything like last year’s first foray to B.C., Manitoba will be a formidable challenge for the Spartans. In the second week of last year, the Bisons were forced to play back-to-back games against then No. 3 UBC Friday and then No. 1 TWU Saturday. That weekend Manitoba managed a 0-0 draw against UBC and only lost 1-0 to TWU the following night.

Leading a veteran group will be last season’s leading scorer for the Bisons, Carrie Nash. Her four goals were two clear of teammate Paula Fast – who has the lone Bisons goal this year – for the team lead. Nash was also named a Canada West All-Star last season.

Laura Harrison returns to the goalkeeper position but split duties last weekend with Chloe Werle. While Harrison was the Bisons go-to keeper last year, Werle will push her for time all season. Through the first weekend, both goalies allowed two goals, with Werle making six saves and Harrison making five.

Also, expect strong contributions from Alison Kastner, Rhoni Mackenzie, Meagan Smith and Gillian Sidon
The key new face in the lineup so far has been defender Elyce Molyneaux, who played 108 minutes in two games on the weekend.

Chris Lewis returns as head coach for his second season, but Lewis has also brought in three new assistant coaches with high levels of experience both on the field as players and on the sidelines as coaches. Desiree Scott, fresh off her appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will join Lewis, along with Hadyn Sloane-Seale and Amy Anderson.

REGINA COUGARS

CIS Ranking: N/A
Canada West Standing: 7th
Last Week: Victoria 1-1 T, UFV 2-1 L
Streak: 1 Loss
2010 CW Record: 5-7-2 (8th)
2010 CW Tournament: N/A
2010 CIS Tournament:
Last CW title: N/A
Last CIS title: N/A

This year could be the year the Cougars finally make the playoffs.

After setting program records for both wins and points during the 2010 campaign, Regina returned almost its entire roster this year and is already looking like a team that could put the Cougars on the women’s soccer map.

Although the Cougars didn’t get wins in either of their first games, they did manage one point against Victoria and only lost 2-1 to now No. 6 ranked UFV Cascades. So while Regina was certainly hoping for more than one point out of a two-game home stand, there were plenty of positives to take away from the Cougars performances, especially in the second half of both matches.

Headlining the returners is fifth-year goalkeeper and co-captain Michelle Anderson, who became the first player in U of R history to be named a Canada West First-Team All-Star after a spectacular 2010 season. Through the first two games of the year, she is second in Canada West with 11 saves.

Also back is fourth-year left back Sarah Novak, who led all Cougar outfielders in minutes played last year and serves as the team’s other co-captain. Fifth-year defender Dana Renneberg, one of four of the team’s outfielders to register over 1000 minutes played in 2010, will also be a stalwart for the Cougars on the back line. Add to that returning midfielder Molly Glass, who played the full 90 minutes in each of the first two games this year and has an assist, and the Cougars look to be a dynamic lot.

In the midfield, Tiffany Gyurek, Meagan Cormier, Megan Florizone and Tayler Firth, the latter of which tied for the team lead in goals last season and has one goal already this year, will all be contributing factors. Up front, Regina has veteran striker Tegan Koroluk and second-year players Adrianna Bonutti and Jayde McFee, the latter of which has the Cougars other goal this year, while first-year forward Veronica Boesch – 65 minutes and four shots in two games – Is also pushing hard for playing time in her first season on campus.

-TW-

Last Updated: 2011-09-14
Author: Mark Janzen