KAMLOOPS – Three goals in the second half and nerves of steel in an eight-round penalty kick shootout sent the Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's soccer team past the MRU Cougars by a score of 4-3 in Canada West Quarter-Final action Saturday.
 
"We talk all about the time about our character and they've shown once again that they just don't know when they're beaten," said WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington. "They just dig deep and the belief in this group is outstanding, I couldn't be more proud of them. They've been unbelievable all year."
 
Camryn Curts, Hawan Abdissa and Alexis Virgo scored in regulation time for the WolfPack while Abdissa, Madeline Trozzo, Marissa Young, Caylah Lemon and Allie Shiyuk recorded the shootout markers.
 
Not only did Young score in the shootout but the fourth-year goalkeeper from Calgary also stopped a penalty shot in regulation time and made a pair of saves in the shootout.
 
The win sends the WolfPack to the Canada West Final Four for the first time in program history. Tabbed to finish 11th in the preseason Coaches Poll, the WolfPack are now just one win away from qualifying for the U SPORTS National Championship.
 
"I think it's been a program defining season. We talked prior to the game about not being upset about the result no matter what today because our season has been so good and we've got further than people expected us to get so today was just gravy for us," said Pennington. "I think this season has been a tipping point and you know, maybe people start taking our program seriously because of what we've shown."
 
Things looked bleak for the WolfPack early. The Cougars, who finished atop the Prairie Division standings, came storming out of the gate and jumped out to a 2-0 lead within the first 12 minutes of play.
 
That scoreline held through to the halftime break before the WolfPack fought their way back into the game.
 
"We had a long conversation at the halftime break about how no matter what the score says let's just go and be us in the second half, lets fight and compete," said Pennington. "They did that and they got back into it and the group is beyond excited."
 
In a return from injury, Curts cut the lead to just one in the 57th minute. The WolfPack captain was first onto a Lemon free kick into the box and was able to deflect it into the back of the net.
 
TRU tied the game up through Abdissa ten minutes later. Trozzo let go a rocket of the shot that bounced off the crossbar but Abdissa was there to clean up the rebound and knot the game up at two.
 
Mount Royal snatched back the lead with just minutes remaining in the game. A beautifully struck free kick from Catriona McFadden eluded Young and gave the Cougars a 3-2 edge in the 89th minute.
 
The WolfPack refused to let their season come to an end however and with almost the last kick of regulation time Bella Geremia sent a desperation ball into the box the Virgo was able to poke into the net and send the game to overtime.
 
"We threw Alexis up top when we were 3-2 down and from a coaching perspective you love it when those little moments work out for you," said Pennington.
 
Neither team was able to break the deadlock through 30 minutes of overtime and the two squads went to a penalty shootout.
 
After trading goals and saves through the opening seven rounds of the shootout a Young save combined with a clinical finish from Shiyuk sent the WolfPack to victory.
 
TRU will now prepare for the Canada West Final Four. They travel down to Vancouver next weekend to take on the TWU Spartans in a semifinal match.