Game Recap

Women’s Soccer (Conference)
Saturday, September 23, 2006
TWU Spartans (3) vs. UBC Thunderbirds (1)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

O’Brien Hat-Trick Paces Spartans

Langley, British Columbia –Trinity Western University forward Carlee O’Brien (Nanaimo) found the back of the net three times to give the Spartans a 3-1 win over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Saturday night at TWU’s Spartan Field.

“Carlee’s finishes were fantastic tonight... we knew if we got something on the break that she was going to cause havoc for them. Right now she is playing with so much confidence," said TWU Head Coach Graham Roxburgh.

The win was a historic victory for entire Spartan squad as the victory was the first over UBC since a 3-1 victory in the Spartans first Canada West contest on September 13, 2001. With the last win coming over six years ago none of the current Spartans have ever experienced a win over the Thunderbirds.

 “We realize that we beat a good team and we are delighted that we were able to hold on for the win,” said Roxburgh. ”We were under the gun for much of the second half, which showed our tired legs. But we showed some heart to hold on to our lead.”

O’Brien opened the scoring in the 10th minute when forward Dana DuMerton (2nd year, Abbotsford) sent O’Brien sprinting down the left side of the park. The fourth year forward went in alone on UBC keeper Jaclyn Dunnett (Burnaby)  and knocked the ball off of the top of the far post and into the net.

After giving up the early goal the Thunderbirds turned up the intensity on the Spartans. Their pressure for the remainder of the half was relentless. But TWU keeper Nikki Turner (1st year, Langley) made four saves in the first half and Spartan defender Stephanie Stewart (5th year, Langley) headed a ball off of the goal line in the 12th minute to keep the Thunderbirds off the scoresheet. “Stephanie was outstanding in the back line for us tonight,” said Roxburgh.

UBC came out even stronger in the second half. They kept the ball in the Spartans end of the field for almost the entire half out shooting the Spartans14-3.

O’Brien got the insurance goal in the 68th minute to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead. TWU forward Melanie Ingwersen (2nd year Abbotsford) stole the ball in the midfield off of a UBC defender and sent O’Brien in alone on UBC’s Dunnett. As O’Brien neared the charging keeper she pushed the ball off to the left and went around putting the ball into the open net.

Two minutes later TWU’s Stephanie Stewart was there again for the Spartans when she blocked a shot from the T-Birds’ Bronwyn Hunt (Vancouver). "On the first one I saw the ball thinking it was going in the back of the net, and then all of a sudden it was going off my head. That's why were there on the back post. It was more instinct than plan,” said Stewart after the match. “The second one, I just got a touch of it. I was in the right place at the right time."

Hunt nearly made it a one goal game in the 75th minute when her shot went off of the post. In the ensuing goal mouth scramble Stephanie Thibert (Vancouver) headed the ball of a rebound and put it over TWU’s Nikki Turner to make the score 2-1.

In the 80th minute it looked like O’Brien would get her hat-trick when she went in alone on the UBC net. But her shot rang off of the top of UBC cross bar and out of touch.

Just over a minute later O’Brien sealed the hat-trick with her sixth goal of the season. She took a through ball from DuMerton to go in alone on Dunnett. O’Brien hit the ball off of her left foot and into the left side of the net to make the final 3-1 for the Spartans.

TWU’s Nikki Turner made 11 saves to earn her fourth win of the season and move the Spartans to 4-1-1, while Jaclyn Dunnett made three save as the Thunderbirds fall to 3-2-0.

Next up for the Spartans is the University College of the Fraser Valley on Sat Sept. 30. Match time at TWU is set for 5 p.m.

Match Notes: Carlee O’Brien leads the Canada West in goals scored with six...O”Brien is five goals off of the TWU all-time goal scoring record with 33, trailing only former Spartan (’05) Ashlee Davison who had 38 goals... Dana DuMerton had two assists in today’s match...

-TW-