Floor Ursem
1
Victoria UVIC (1-0-1)
1
Thompson Rivers TRU (1-0-1)
Victoria UVIC
(1-0-1)
1
Final
1
Thompson Rivers TRU
(1-0-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Victoria UVIC 1 0 0 0 1
Thompson Rivers TRU 1 0 0 0 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | TRU WolfPack

Penalty kick heroics send WolfPack to historic victory

QUICK FIRE
  • The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women's soccer team got it done when the lights were brightest, rising to the occasion with a 2-1 (4-3 on penalty kicks) Canada West semifinal victory over the UVic Vikes Thursday night.
  • With the win the WolfPack accomplished a couple firsts in program history. The victory not only advanced them to the Canada West championship game for the first time ever, but also punched their ticket to the U SPORTS National Championship tournament for the first time.

DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • Hannah Saxon scored the goal in regulation for TRU while Esi Lufo, Macyn Jolly, Makenna Ford and Sara Kuusimaki all tallied in the shootout. Goalkeeper Floor Ursem, recently named a Pacific Division All-Star, made four saves in regulation time and followed that up with arguably the biggest save in the history of WolfPack women's soccer with a stop in the shootout.
  • Brianne McLeish tallied for the Vikes with goalkeeper Stefanie Mocnik tallying eight saves in the game.
     
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • TRU earned the first chance of the game just four minutes in. Early WolfPack pressure resulted in a corner kick. Ford whipped the ball into the 18-yard box where Lufo rose highest but her header was sent over the bar.
  • After the teams traded chances early it was UVic that grabbed the lead in the 20th minute of play. Scarlett McNeely got the ball on the left wing where she sent in a cross perfectly onto the head of McLeish who made no mistake to send a header into the back of the net.
  • The WolfPack struck back 20 minutes later. Lufo earned TRU a free-kick on the left edge of the Vikes' 18-yar boxd and it was Saxon who stepped up to send a curling shot right into the top corner and even the score at 1-1.
  • TRU outshot UVic 4-3 in the first half.
  • Neither team was able to break that deadlock in a second half that saw plenty of action.
  • Berea Woldeyes had a strong shot on net early and Floor Ursem made a big save in the 60th minute but both teams best chances to break the deadlock came late.
  • After getting into a dangerous area with the ball on her feet, Lufo earned the WolfPack a penalty shot with ten minutes left to play when she was hauled down by a Vikes' defender. Mocnik came up big on the ensuing penalty kick however, stopping Lufo's effort and clearing away the rebound.
  • With momentum back on the Vikes' side, it was Ursem's turn to make a big save just minutes late. McLeish got in behind the WolfPack defence on a breakaway only for a charging Ursem to close down the angle and make a foot save that ensured the two teams would head to extra time.
  • While the WolfPack carried a majority of play throughout the 30 minutes of extra time, neither team was able to find a clear-cut scoring chance, as the game went all the way to a penalty shootout.
  • Stepping up to take the first shot, Lufo blasted one past Mocnik only for the Vikes to respond.
  • UVic held the advantage after the second round of PKs as they found the back of the net and Mocnik made an excellent diving stop to put the Vikes up 2-1.
  • Both Jolly and Ford scored for TRU on their next attempts and while UVic scored once, their fourth attempt rang off the crossbar to knot the game back up at 3-3.
  • The WolfPack ended the game in the fifth and final round. Kuusimaki left no doubt on her attempt, whipping it into the back of the net and with the game – and a trip to nationals on the line – Ursem came up with a diving stop to deny the Vikes and clinch the win for TRU.
 

QUOTABLE (WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington)
  • "I have no idea what my emotions are right now, they're all over the place. UVic made us work. They're a good team. We've tied them twice this year and we always knew it was going to be a tough one. I'm just so proud of the group."
  • "We only used a couple of subs today, we were short on our bench and missing a couple of key bodies, but every single player dug in and put in a shift today and honestly, big credit to Esi Lufo who misses a penalty in regulation and then has the leadership to take the first one in the shootout. She wanted that and it got us off on a good foot. Then Floor Ursem with the massive save. We've been practicing penalties and it paid off."

UP NEXT
  • The WolfPack will now advance to the Canada West championship game tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. against the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver. Regardless of the outcome of that game, the 'Pack will continue their season next weekend at the U SPORTS National Championship tournament hosted in Vancouver Nov. 12-15 at Thunderbird Stadium.
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