Game Recap

Women’s Soccer (Conference)
Friday, September 22, 2006
TWU Spartans (0) vs. the University of Victoria Vikes (3)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Defending Champs Stop Spartans
#1 Vikes defeat Spartans in battle of unbeaten teams

Langley, British Columbia – The Trinity Western University women’s soccer team held their own with the number one team in the country for 85 minutes. But the University of Victoria Vikes took advantage of the five minute lull at the start of the second half to claim a 3-0 win Friday afternoon at TWU’s Spartan Field.

The Spartans battled the top ranked Vikes for the entire first half. Their front line created quality chances, while their defense kept the Vikes off of the score board. “In the first half we showed that we can play with anyone. Against a very good team we created some opportunities and we looked to be a very dangerous team,” said TWU Head Coach Graham Roxburgh.

The start of the second half was the turning point of the match. The Spartans came out flat and it didn’t take the Vikes long to capitalize.

 It’s frustrating and disappointing that we played so well in the first half and create chances with our work rate and the way we played. And then we came out flat to start the second half and made a few crucial mistakes that cost us the game,” said TWU Head Coach Graham Roxburgh. “We need to be a team that can play’s constantly at a high level for 90 minutes. It was a game that got away from us and it didn’t need to.”

Rachelle Armstrong (Victoria) opened the scoring just 28 seconds into the second half. The second year forward, who had just entered the game at the start of the half, took a through ball from Amy Thorogood (Medicine Hat, Alta.) and out raced TWU keeper Nikki Turner (1st year, Langley) to the ball. Armstrong neatly chipped the ball over the charging TWU keeper and into the back of the Spartan net.

The goal took the wind out of TWU and Victoria was not about to let up. Four minutes later the Vikes made it a two goal game when Carey Gustafson (Victoria) made it 2-0 for Victoria. Gustafson took advantage of a free kick from teammate Moira Hood (Victoria). Starting from the 10 yards outside the top left corner of the TWU penalty area, Hood sent a ball towards Gustafson who was waiting at the near post. Gustafson took the pass and redirected it into the lower left corner of the Spartans net.

The Spartans regrouped and kept charging at the Vikes. But despite a number of dangerous opportunities TWU was unable to get a ball past Victoria’s Jill Carruthers (Saskatoon). 

Armstrong put the game out of reach with her second goal of the afternoon in the 62nd minute. She took a feed from Gustafson and headed the ball over TWU’s Turner and into the top of the Spartan net to make it 3-0.

TWU had a six to one edge in corner kicks in the second half. Each team had four shots in the second half. The Vikes finished with 13 shots, while TWU finished with 11. Jill Caruthers made three saves to record the win and keep Victoria perfect at 4-0-0, while TWU’s Turner suffered her first loss of the season as the Spartans fell to 3-1-1.

Next up for the Spartans is the sixth ranked University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Match time Saturday afternoon is set for 5 p.m. at TWU’s Spartan Field.

Match Notes: TWU’s Whitney Agassiz (4th year, Salmon Arm) was named the Husky Energy player of the match. “Whit was a tower of strength in the back line,” commented Roxburgh. The Spartans Lindsay Rohla (4th year, Langley) and the Vikes Rachelle Armstrong, with two goals, were named the MVP’s for their respective squads. “I thought Lindsay did a great job of controlling the midfield and distributing the ball to our forwards,” added Roxburgh. The Vikes won the CIS national championship last season (2005), while the Spartans won the national title in 2004...

-TW-