Alexis Virgo
0
Thompson Rivers TRU (2-0-1, 0-0-1)
0
Victoria VIC (0-0-1, 0-0-1)
Thompson Rivers TRU
(2-0-1, 0-0-1)
0
Final
0
Victoria VIC
(0-0-1, 0-0-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Thompson Rivers TRU 0 0 0
Victoria VIC 0 0 0

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | TRU WolfPack

WolfPack battle Vikes to scoreless draw on the road, make it three-straight undefeated to start season

QUICK FIRE
  • The Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's soccer team stayed undefeated through three games of the young Canada West soccer season after earning a 0-0 tie on the road against the UVic Vikes Friday night.

DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • Floor Ursem was flawless in the WolfPack net, making six saves to earn her second shutout of the season. The entire WolfPack squad contributed to the rock-solid defensive effort while Allison Hill, Kat Stewart and Alexis Virgo all registered shots on goal.
  • Six different players had shots on net for the Vikes, while goalkeeper Stefanie Mocnik made three stops for the clean sheet.
     
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The WolfPack dominated the early portion of the game, nearly opening the scoring just six minutes into the contest when Lufo took a pass in the UVic 18-yard box before spinning and firing a ball that beat Mocnik but just missed the back of the net.
  • Ursem was called into action just four minutes later when she made perhaps her best stop of the game in the 10th minute of play. A ball into the TRU penalty area fell to Scarlett McNeely who unleashed a shot destined for the top corner only for a diving Ursem to get her hand on the ball and tip it off the crossbar.
  • Another stop from Ursem in the 24th minute and one from Mocnik off a dangerous ball into the box courtesy of Virgo sent the teams into the halftime break all square.
  • Both teams had chances right before the one-hour mark of the contest. First up was TRU though an Allison Hill blast that Mocnik was able to corral. Then Virgo was able to chase down what appeared to be a clear breakaway for a UVic forward to snuff out the danger.
  • A flurry of chances late for TRU went for naught. Twice – in the 87th and 90th minutes of play – great footwork from second-year midfielder Laila Rafou resulted in dangerous balls into the UVic penalty area, but both times the Vikes were able to clear the danger.

NOTABLE
  • With two wins and a tie to start the season, this marks the first time that TRU has ever started a Canada West season undefeated through their opening three games.
  • The result gives TRU their first-ever point on the road against UVic in Canada West play.
  • Earning her second shutout of the season, Ursem is now tied with Marissa Young for second in the program's Canada West history with six.

QUOTABLE (WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington)
  • "On the balance of the game a tie was probably a fair result. I thought we were the better team for the first 25 minutes and the last 20 minutes of the game, but UVic really pushed us."
  • "We were probably fortunate that halftime came when it did because I thought we were stretched a little bit. The amount of travel that we've gone through, playing against a rested team that had a bye last week while we were on the bus to Prince George and now to Victoria, I couldn't be more proud."
  • "We are super proud and feel a little unfortunate that we couldn't win it right at the end, but the commitment from the players was top notch, I couldn't ask for more. They just kept digging and grinding so we are all super happy to still be undefeated."
  • "Floor made a couple of saves that were unbelievable. She tipped that one off the bar early that could have swung the game, it was a big save at a really important moment. I thought Alexis Virgo was really strong at the back. Sara Kuusimaki had a really specific role to deal with one of their players and did it really well. She was marking Ruby Nicholas (former Canada West Player of the Year) so Kuusimaki had a special job to perform and did it really well. I thought Laila Rafou gave us really, really good minutes in the midfield as well."  

UP NEXT
  • The WolfPack will play their fourth-straight road game to start the season tomorrow night when they take on the UFV Cascades in Abbotsford tomorrow, Sept. 12, at 5:30 p.m.
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