KAMLOOPS – Infront of close to 1000 fans inside Hillside Stadium the Thompson Rivers Univeristy WolfPack women's soccer team rose to the occasion and dispatched the visiting UNBC Timberwolves 3-0 on Friday night.
 
Ainsley Grether, Kat Stewart and Raiya Rumo scored for TRU with Esi Lufo and Caylah Lemon recording assists.
 
Brityn Hinsche was heroic in net for UNBC, making a total of nine saves in the contest. For TRU, Aneesa O'Brien earned the first shutout of her WolfPack career with the win.
 
"Today was pretty good, I think UNBC came out strong – they are a good team and well organized – we knew they were going to be tactically well organized and difficult to play against," said WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington. "We worked this week on trying to play against that and I think it worked, we trapped them in places we wanted to trap them in and got on the ball in the attacking third of the field."
 
Buoyed by the large crowd in what was their first home game of the year, the WolfPack came out blazing. UNBC was able to weather the storm early but the game shifted in favour of TRU in the 38th minute when Rumo was fouled in the 18-yard box and the referee awarded the hosts with a penalty kick.
 
Captain Ainsley Grether stepped up to the spot and delivered a perfect finish to give TRU the 1-0 lead.
 
The WolfPack outshot UNBC 7-0 in the frame but a couple spectacular saves from Hinsche kept UNBC in the match.
 
The Timberwolves had their best chance to score in the 55th minute. Third-year forward Kjera Hayman let a curling shot go from the edge of the box that sailed just a little too high and bounced off the crossbar and away from harm.
 
TRU doubled their lead in the 68th minute. Lufo laid a ball off to Stewart who unleashed a beautiful shot that found the very top corner of the net to give the rookie her first career WolfPack goal in her first game at Hillside stadium.

"To stick one in the top corner with one of the first touches of her TRU career is amazing, I hope she enjoys that and I'm so happy for her," said Pennington. "I thought Berea Woldeyes was fantastic in the midfield today playing in a slightly unusual role for her as a deeper midfielder. We were happy with everyone, I feel bad that a bunch of players didn't get onto the field but I didn't want to change it up too much because everyone was playing well."
 
TRU put the game beyond a shadow of a doubt in the 90th minute when Rumo met a Caylah Lemon corner kick with a thunderous header that bounced off the crossbar and in. The goal was also the first in the WolfPack career for Rumo.
 
"I'm over the moon for her, she told me today that she was going to score a goal," said Pennington. "It was a bullet of a header so I'm super pleased for her too. Overall I think she was our MVP tonight."
 
TRU remains at home this weekend and gets set to face the UBC Thunderbirds tomorrow evening inside Hillside in a game scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
 
UNBC meanwhile will travel to Kelowna for a clash with the Heat tomorrow.