Cascades hand TRU WolfPack women second loss of Canada West soccer season

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack played a strong game but saw their three game unbeaten streak snapped in Canada West women’s soccer action yesterday.

The WolfPack surrendered a goal in the 82nd minute as they fell to the host University of the Fraser Valley Cascades in Abbotsford on Friday, Sept. 18.  he Cascades are ranked in the top ten of Canada West.

“It was a very entertaining game to watch and I thought we played hard,” said TRU head coach Tom McManus. “We had to do some regrouping after losing Taylor Miller (3rd year, forward, Kamloops,BC) in the eighth minute with an upper body injury in the eighth minute.”

The WolfPack had a great chance in the second half with fifth year forwards Katie Sparrow (Kamloops, BC) and Jaydene Radu (Calgary, AB) both testing Cascades goalkeeper Kayla Klim from in close.  Sparrow saw her effort on goal smothered by Klim while Radu’s shot sailed high.

McManus praised the efforts of Kindra Maracle (2nd year, midfield, Kamloops, BC) in the midfield.

The Cascades thought they had broken through in the 65th minute. Defender Tristan Corneil launched a high-arcing ball from 35 yards that hit the top of the crossbar before landing just inches in front of the WolfPack goal line. The ball bounced across the face of goal and spun backwards before settling into the net for an apparent own goal.

The referees convened, however, and determined that the ball was briefly out of play before landing, thus negating the goal.

Corneil would find her goal in the 81st minute. With fellow defender Jade Palm running a screen in front of Thompson Rivers goalkeeper Taylor Shantz, Corneil’s corner kick effort slipped through Shantz’s hands and tumbled over the goal line.

The WolfPack close out their six game road swing to start the season on Saturday (Sept 19) when they visit the Trinity Western University Spartans in Langley, BC.

Thompson Rivers kicks off the home portion of their Canada West season on Saturday Sept. 26 th at Hillside Stadium against the University of Victoria Vikes. Kick off is 2 pm.

— with files from Russell Arbuthnot, UFV Cascades communications staff