KAMLOOPS – The Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's soccer team went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country and finished all square after they played the Trinity Western Spartans to a 0-0 tie in Kamloops.
 
"I think today is a chance to take a step back and take a look at how far we have come as a program," said WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington. "We were full value for that tie, we rode our luck a little bit, but against top teams you need to. The players worked their absolute socks off."
 
Marissa Young made four saves in the WolfPack net for the shutout while Hannah Miller was rock-steady at the back for Trinity Western, making two stops for her sixth shutout in seven games.
 
The result continues the best start to program history for the WolfPack. They move their record to 3-2-2 and remain fourth in the Pacific Division of Canada West soccer. TWU, who entered the weekend ranked No. 2 in the latest U SPORTS Top 10 poll now hold a record of 5-1-1.
 
"To get a tie against the No. 2 ranked team in the country, that lost the national championship in penalty shots last year, we have proven that we can compete with the best of them," said Pennington.
 
A back and forth first half finished how it started with neither team able to find the opener. Emily Clark had a dangerous chance for TRU while Sierra Halldorson nearly scored for the Spartans but Young and Miller stood tall in their respective nets.
 
The teams traded chances in the second half. Trinity Western owned the beginning and latter portion of the half with TRU getting their fair share of chances in between.
 
 Sophie Crowther and Holland Stiel both hit crossbars for Trinity in the opening ten minutes of the half before TRU found their footing.
 
The hosts got their best chance to take the lead in the 62nd minute when Lydia Keating got onto the end of a Caylah Lemon set-piece but her header bounced off the post.
 
Trinity Western racked up the corner kicks the rest of the way and appeared to score off one in the 88th minute but Sierra Halldoson's effort was called back for a foul.
 
With the score ending 0-0, the result was arguable the biggest in program history for the 'Pack.
 
"The coach part of me wants to say no - that this was another game and we got a point and there's still a lot of points to play for - but realistically with where we've come from and where we are this was a monumental moment," said Pennington. "We will enjoy it, but we've got a really big game again tomorrow night against a good team."
 
TRU will be back in action tomorrow night when they welcome the Fraser Valley Cascades to town in a game that kicks off at 5:30 p.m.
 
"11 players put in a shift-and-a-half everybody from the goalkeeper all the way through, even the players on the bench brought great energy, they kept the team going all the way through," said Pennington.
 
Trinity meanwhile will head to Kelowna to face the UBC Okanagan Heat tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.