Scheduled Game: @Fraser Valley*

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GAME RESULTS 1 2 T Trinity Western 0 0 0 Fraser Valley 0 0 0

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Game Recap

WOMEN’S SOCCER
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2009
TWU SPARTANS (0) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY CASCADES (0)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS CLINCH FIRST CANADA WEST LEAGUE TITLE

ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia – The Trinity Western University women’s soccer team clinched their first ever Canada West league title with a 0-0 draw with the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades Saturday afternoon in Abbotsford, B.C.

“It is a tremendous league with great teams and for us to get first with this many points is a testament to how hard our players have worked and focused all season long,” commented TWU head coach Graham Roxburgh. “The whole team showed great heart through adversity today. It just shows that they have character as well as well as talent.”

The win moves the Spartans to 11-1-1 and gives them 34 points with one match remaining on the season. Second place Victoria sits at 8-2-3 and 27 points after a 1-0 loss to the University of British Columbia. The tie drops the Cascades to 5-4-4 for 19 points and eliminates them from the play-offs as they trail fourth place Alberta by four points.

The Spartans were forced to play with 11 after midfielder Tessa Meyer (Surrey, B.C.) was red carded 30 minutes into the contest. TWU keeper Kristen Funk (Calgary) made four saves to earn her league-leading seventh shutout of the season.

Offensively, midfielder Rebecca Ferguson (Calgary) had five shot, three of which were turned away by Chantelle Biagioni (Pitt Meadows, B.C.).

Even though they were done a player for much of the match the Spartans still had the edge in play outshooting the Cascades 13 to nine. Their ability to control the match is largely a result of the play of the TWU midfield and back line. “I thought Melissa Mobilio (Coquitlam, B.C.) and Alexis Foster (Fort Langley, B.C.) did a fantastic job in the midfield today,” commented Roxburgh.

TWU’s best chance came in the 70th minute when Daniela Gerig (Fort Langley, B.C.) worked her way to get open at the top of the UFV box. Gerig made a hard turn and in one motion, as she was being knocked to the ground, sent a ball screaming toward the Cascades net. The ball got past Giagioni, but rang off of the far post and went harmlessly out of play.

The Cascades Biagioni made five saves and earned her sixth shutout of the season for the Cascades, who now own a 5-4-4 record. UFV will finish the season with its best showing during four years of CIS competition.

The Spartans will now travel to Victoria to play the Vikes tomorrow at noon in a tune-up for the Canada West play-offs.
The CW Final Four will be held next Fri. and Sat. at Trinity Western University.

The Cascades finish off their season Sunday with a game against UBC at noon at Bateman Park in Abbotsford.

Match Notes: The league title is the first in the women’s soccer programs history. They previously hosted the CW play-offs in 2002 when the host rotated around the league. The Spartans previously tied for first in 2004 with UBC at 9-2-3. The Thunderbirds were awarded first as they owned the tie break on the Spartans… TWU finishes in first, Victoria second…UBC and Alberta are currently at 25 and 23 points respectively with each having one match remaining…UBC is at UFV, while Alberta is at Saskatchewan…UBC owns the tie-break, so they need only a tie or a Panda tie or loss to clinch third… The Canada West champion and silver medalist both advance to the CIS championship in Toronto Nov. 12-15…

-TW-

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