KAMLOOPS – Make it five wins in six games to start the season for the Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's soccer team after they took down the UNBC Timberwolves by a score of 2-1 on Saturday.
 
The win moves TRU into first place in the Pacific Division through the opening three weeks of play. The team that will host the 2022 U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championship inside Hillside Stadium this November has made a statement early in the season with the best start to a year in program history.
 
"The first three weekends were really tough, there's no question," said WolfPack head coach John Antulov. "If you would have asked me at the start of the year if we would be 5-1 after the first six games I might have thought you were a little crazy. At the end of the day the guys have showed their resolve, their battle and I'm just super happy about where we are at right now and we just have to keep going."
 
Ryan Lewis scored his fifth of the year for TRU while Elijah Dos Santos added the game winner with the first of his Canada West career.
 
 Michael Henman continued his blistering start to the campaign for UNBC by scoring his eighth of the young season. The reigning U SPORTS men's soccer player of the week continued to shine for the Timberwolves and was a thorn in the WolfPack's side all weekend long.
 
Lewis opened the scoring with an absolutely stunning effort just five minutes into the game.
 
Jost Hausendorf chested a ball into the path of Lewis who let go a blistering shot from 30 yards out that rang off the crossbar and in to open the scoring.
 
From there UNBC ramped up the pressure, the visitors controlled most of the play for the next 20 minutes but were unable to find the back of the net despite Koby Greaves striking the woodwork.
 
Dos Santos doubled the WolfPack lead in the 39th minute.

A vintage Marco Favaro set piece delivery found a wide-open Dos Santos at the back-post and the rookie defender made no mistake to put the ball into the net and score the first of his career.
 
"It's great to see Elijah get his first goal," said Antulov. "He's been playing fantastic defensively and building the ball out of the back, he's been a really key addition for us this year so for him to notch one is something he will remember for the rest of his life."
 
The Timberwolves nearly cut their deficit in half right before the break when Cody Gysbers struck an in-direct free kick from inside the WolfPack 18-yard box, but his effort bounced off the TRU wall and away from danger.
 
UNBC kept pressing in the second half and finally found their goal in 52nd minute.
 
Greaves played in a cross from a set piece that Gysbers place perfectly across the front of goal to the waiting Henman who extended his lead in the conference scoring race with number eight on the year.
 
TRU worked their way back into the game after conceding however, and were able to run out the clock with minimal drama to claim their fifth win of the year.
 
"It was a non-stop battle and we know that's going to happen with UNBC, even when they went down 2-0 they just kept battling," said Antulov. "They got that goal and all of a sudden you're scrambling a little bit. I'm super happy with the fight and the way our guys battled all the way through. It wasn't pretty again but we were able to get the result and that's what we need."
 
UNBC hits the road next weekend for a pair of games in Alberta. The Timberwolves will face the Alberta Golden Bears on Friday before facing the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Sunday.
 
It will be a rare one game road trip next week for TRU who head to Saskatchewan to play the Saskatchewan Huskies on September 17.