Allie Shiyuk
1
Thompson Rivers TRU (5-4-0, 5-4-0)
2
Winner Trinity Western TWU (5-2-0, 5-2-0)
Thompson Rivers TRU
(5-4-0, 5-4-0)
1
Final
2
Trinity Western TWU
(5-2-0, 5-2-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Thompson Rivers TRU 0 1 1
Trinity Western TWU 1 1 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | TRU WolfPack

‘Pack push Spartans the distance in close loss

QUICK FIRE
  • On what was a record-setting night for forward Esi Lufo the Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's soccer team came out on the wrong side of a tight 2-1 battle with the Trinity Western Spartans.
     
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • Esi Lufo scored her eighth goal of the season for TRU, setting a new program record for goals in a Canada West season in the process. Katie Chun earned an assist after setting up Lufo's goal while Floor Ursem made four stops in the game.
  • Luciana Andrews and Destiny Omari scored for the Spartans with Sophie Crowther registering an assist on both goals.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • TRU came out of the gates the stronger of the two sides but couldn't find the target from either a strong Stella Klippenstein chance or a Lufo blast early in the match.
  • The Spartans struck first in the 25th minute. Crowther got the ball in a dangerous position on the wing and played a ball across the face of goal where Andrews was waiting to tap it in.
  • Lufo came close to tying the match after a great individual effort in the 43rd minute but her strike from 12 yards out sailed just high.
  •  TWU doubled their lead ten minutes after the halftime whistle when Omari finished off a pass in close that was again supplied by Crowther.
  • The WolfPack refused to go down without a fight however as the visitors dominated the run of play throughout the rest of the game.
  • Lufo's record-setting goal saw the 'Pack pull one back in the 61st minute of play. Macyn Jolly put in a crunching tackle in the middle of the field to win the ball over to Katie Chun. Chun took on the Spartans' defence before playing a perfect through-ball to Lufo and from there the Albanian forward made no mistake to tuck it into the back of the net.
  • TRU threw everything they could towards net for the remaining 30 minutes of play but despite multiple chances they couldn't find the equalizer.

NOTABLE
  • Not only does Lufo now hold the program's single-season scoring record but she is also tied with Ainsley Grether for the WolfPack's Canada West career scoring record on 11 goals.
  • Lufo's eight goals in nine games this season puts her at the top of the Canada West leaderboard.
  • TRU moves to 5-4 on the season while the Spartans leapfrog them for second place in the Pacific Division with a record of 5-2.
  • Macyn Jolly made her WolfPack debut in the contest.
  • TWU is ranked No. 8 in Canada.
 
QUOTABLE (WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington)
 
  • "We are obviously disappointed not to get anything out of the game because I think we deserved something but we played a team ranked in the top ten in Canada and went toe-to-toe again. Barring a little luck around the goal I think we get something out of the game."
  • "We are proud of the effort that the players put in, especially in the second half, we got at TWU and I couldn't have asked for any more from them."
  • ON THE PLAY OF LUFO THIS SEASON "One of the things she's doing this season is that she's more engaged in possession but also without the ball, she's working harder to get into good positions. She's fitter and faster but has a bit of belief as well, so we are really positive on the steps she has taken and she's been an absolute menace for other teams to deal with."
  • ON THE GAME AGAINST UFV TOMORROW "They're a difficult team to play against, it's always a hard place to go and get a result but we'll have a plan and hopefully will be rested up and ready to go at them."

UP NEXT
  • The WolfPack will remain on the road as they travel to Abbotsford to face the UFV Cascades tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 27, in a game that gets underway at 7:00 p.m.
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