Makenna Ford
SydneyLynnPhotoCo
1
Victoria VIC (0-1-1, 0-1-1)
1
Thompson Rivers TRU (0-0-1, 0-0-1)
Victoria VIC
(0-1-1, 0-1-1)
1
Final
1
Thompson Rivers TRU
(0-0-1, 0-0-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Victoria VIC 0 1 1
Thompson Rivers TRU 1 0 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | TRU WolfPack

WolfPack outchance Vikes, forced to settle for draw but remain undefeated in 2026

QUICK FIRE
  • The Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's soccer kept their undefeated 2026 campaign going Friday night at Hillside Stadium, playing the visiting UVic Vikes to a 1-1 draw.
     
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • Fourth-year forward Kat Stewart scored her first goal of the season, and seventh of her WolfPack career, just 25 seconds into the game. Esi Lufo recorded the assist for her third point of the year and Floor Ursem made a pair of stops in the WolfPack net.
  • Stefanie Mocnik made seven saves for UVic and Brianne McLeish scored the Vikes' goal.
     
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The WolfPack struck first just seconds into the match. Makenna Ford played a ball into the 18-yard box where Lufo flicked a header into a dangerous area that Stewart beat a pair of defenders to and sent into the box with a thunderous mid-air strike.
  • TRU was unlucky not to double that lead multiple times in the first half. Stewart had another great chance in the 38th minute with a left-footed blast that Mocnik was able to catch. And then Esi Lufo came within inches of scoring the goal of the year just minutes later. Lufo, the WolfPack's all-team leading goalscorer, got the ball on her own side of half before embarking upon a twisting 40-yard run around atleast three Vikes' defenders but Mocnik was able to stop both her close-range shot and  Ford's follow-up effort on the rebound.
  • With neither team able to score again in the first half, TRU took a 1-0 lead into the second frame, out-shooting the Vikes 7-0 at the half.
  • Again it was TRU pressing early in the second with both Rafou and Lufo having shots that just missed the frame.
  • That lack of an insurance marker came back to bite the 'Pack in the 60th minute of play. The Vikes hit on a counter-attack with a pass finding McLeish all alone in the TRU penalty area where she made no mistake to power the ball into the back of the net.
  • The WolfPack continued to push for the winner with numerous chances late but were unable to tally the go-ahead marker as the game ended knotted up at 1-1.

NOTABLE
  • With two wins and three ties to start their season, the WolfPack continue their longest undefeated run to start a Canada West campaign in program history.
  • Stewart's seventh goal as a member of the 'Pack puts her in sole possession of sixth-most in the program's Canada West history.
  • TRU had 13 shots in the game to UVic's seven and five corners to the Vikes' two.
  • The WolfPack will end their season series against the Vikes with two ties. Prior to this season TRU was 1-14-1 against UVic all-time.
  • TRU remains in third place in the Pacific Division with 9 points on the season.

QUOTABLE (WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington)
  • "We are really proud of the work rate tonight, proud of the team for staying undefeated. We are a little bit frustrated that we've tied UVic, which really just shows how far we have come."
  • "I think the first half might have been some of the best football that this program has played, at least since I've been here. We're super proud of what the girls did, if I'm being a little critical I thought we were wasteful with our chances around the night, on another day we could have scored a couple. Then they scored a really good goal, but it was their first and only real clear look at goal, so it's a little frustrating, but UVic is a good team and they are looking for wins as well."
  • "We will stay undefeated, we'll take it and move on and look forward to tomorrow night."
  • ON WHAT WAS WORKING SO WELL IN THE FIRST HALF "I think the spaces between us defensively were good. We squeezed the right spaces and it didn't give them time to get into their groove. It's a testament to our team and what they are doing that UVic actually changed their shape a little bit today. That surprised us, but it's a compliment when teams change their shape to try and play against you.
  • ON KAT STEWART'S KNACK FOR SCORING GREAT GOALS "Kat is an enigma. She's one of the most talented players I've ever come across and she just does stuff like that. We actually called it set piece training yesterday that she was going to score a great goal and sure enough 20 seconds in it happens. She's a great kid and an unbelievable player."

UP NEXT
  • The 'Pack will be back in action at Hillside Stadium tomorrow night when they face the UFV Cascades at 5:30 p.m.
Print Friendly Version