Scheduled Game: WHITECAPS RES @ Langley

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GAME RESULTS 1 2 T Whitecaps Residency 0 1 1 Trinity Western 2 1 3 « FINAL

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Game Recap

WOMEN’S SOCCER (PRE-SEASON)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2009
TWU SPARTANS (3) VS THE VANCOUVER WHITECAPS RESIDENCY (1)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS SOLID IN WIN OVER WHITECAPS PROSPECTS TEAM

LANGLEY, British Columbia – On a stormy Sunday evening at Langley, B.C.’s MAP field the Trinity Western University women’s soccer team were able to take care of business as they defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps U18 Prospects team 3-1 in their final pre-season match before Canada West play begins next week.

TWU rookie midfielder Alicia Tesan (Vancouver) led the way with two goals to give the Spartans the victory in the friendly.

“Lots of positives tonight, but we still have lots of work to do,” commented TWU head coach Graham Roxburgh. “I was impressed with the youthfulness of the whitecaps and the large amount of talent that they have.”

TWU forward Daniela Gerig (Langley, B.C.) opened the scoring 30 minutes into the contest. Gerig took the ball down the left side and chipped it toward the Whitecaps net. A ball that may have been an attempted cross to the far post, was accurate enough that it went over the keeper and into the net.

Four minutes later after a Spartan corner kick there was a scramble in the Whitecaps box. The ball found open space where TWU’s Tesan was able to pick the ball out of the crowd and send it into the back of the net to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead at the half.

The second half was more in favour of the Whitecaps. The Spartans, who had made a number of player changes, played much of the half in their own end. The Whitecaps, who also had the wind, were able to take advantage of defensive breakdowns by TWU and keep the Spartans in their own end for most of the final 30 minutes of the contest.

The Whitecaps were rewarded with a goal midway through the second half. Vancouver’s Jenna Di Nunzio scored after a Whitecaps corner kick. The Spartans were unable to clear the ball and Vancouver was able to get the ball back into the box, where Di Nunzio ran onto the ball and clipped it into the TWU net.

“Our defending in the second half was not very good. We didn’t take care of our defensive responsibilities in the box which allowed the Whitecaps too many opportunities,” said Roxburgh.

Late in the game Tesan was able to get the insurance marker when she tracked down a ball that was passed back to the Vancouver keeper. After gaining possession Tesan put the ball neatly into the open net to give TWU the 3-1 win.

Trinity Western opens their Canada West conference play with three straight road games. They play Saskatchewan on Sept. 12, Alberta on Sept. 13 and British Columbia on Sept. 19. TWU’s home opener will be on Sept. 26 against British Columbia.

Since entering the CIS in 2002 the Spartans women's soccer program has rapidly become one of the premier programs in the CIS. They have won two national championships, in 2008 and 2004, and two Canada West championships, in 2006 and 2004, and have been in the national championship three of the last five years where they have accumulated a 7-1-1 record.

-TW-

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