Photo credit Rich Lam
VANCOUVER (CIS) – The Trinity Western Spartans punched their ticket to the 2015 CIS women's soccer championship semifinals on Thursday afternoon, as they took down the Cape Breton Capers 2-0 in the second quarter-final match of the day at UBC's Thunderbird Stadium.
Jenaya Robertson was all over the pitch for the Spartans, and her quick game-opening goal set the tone for her terrific play over the length of the contest. Behind a stout Trinity Western back line, goalkeeper Ally Williamson earned a clean sheet with her three-save performance.
Trinity Western head coach Graham Roxburgh credited both his side and Cape Breton with terrific defensive performances, noting two fantastic goals proved the difference.
"I thought that early goal settled us down – it was a fantastic goal by Jenaya, and a terrific ball in by Rachel," said Roxburgh. "I thought that they defended us well, and made it tricky for us to find some of the open spaces. I thought that they compacted very well. We knew were going to have to be patient in order to score the second goal – it was an unbelievable goal. Not only the hit, but the buildup was excellent. We also defended very well – they've got some weapons and some pace, and I thought Cape Breton had the ability to play with structure, but they never really threatened us unless we made a mistake. Credit to them for staying in the game. I'm just pleased we're moving on."
On a team loaded with veteran talent, it was a pair of rookies that combined to open the scoring just six minutes into the contest.
Rachel Hutchinson, the 2015 CIS Rookie of the Year, made a terrific run down the right flank and delivered a beautiful cross to the far post. Robertson, who bagged four goals for the Spartans as a freshman, was in the area and stretched out to make contact, deflecting it past Capers goalkeeper Lysianne Trottier.
At the 31-minute mark, Cape Breton got one of their best chances of the first half, as a free kick from first-year midfielder Ciera Disipio just missed over the top of Williamson's net.
In the 56th minute, Trinity Western midfielder Vanessa Kovacs came within inches of doubling the Spartans' lead, as a well-taken corner kick from Krista Gommeringer found its way into a crowded Cape Breton 18-yard box, and Kovacs just missed making contact as the ball passed her in the dangerous area.
At 67 minutes, that insurance goal the Spartans' were looking for came through in a big way. After a couple of quick passes found the fourth-year forward in space, Isabella di Trocchio let go of an absolute rocket from distance, placing it just under the bar and over Trottier's outstretched hands.
Gommeringer had a great chance to extend the Spartans' even further just four minutes later, as she took a pass from Robertson down the right flank and raced in on Trottier. The Cape Breton keeper did well to challenge and forced Gommeringer into a shot that went high and wide.
The Capers pressed late, earning a few set pieces with some smart plays, but neither a free kick nor several corners resulted in anything getting behind Williamson, the UBC transfer.
For Cape Breton head coach Stephen Timmons, the loss doesn't dampen what his team did well, both all season and today.
"We battled," remarked Timmons. "When they scored early, we battled after that. We thought the game was a bit back and forth, and we were waiting for our chance. Then, they got a beautiful second goal, and that kind of put the game on ice for them."
With the win, the Spartans will square off against the reigning champion Laval Rouge et Or in the first of two semifinal matches on Saturday, with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. PST.
TWU and Laval have won the previous three CIS championships. The two squads squared off in the tournament final last season in Quebec City, with the Rouge et Or winning 5-0. The Spartans have won five national titles since 2004.
The Capers face a quick turnaround, as they will square off against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in the consolation round tomorrow. The opening whistle for that clash is set for 11 a.m. PST.
SCORING SUMMARY:
TWU 1-1: 2
WLU: 0-0: 0
First Half
1. TWU Jenaya Robertson (1) (Rachel Hutchinson), 6th minute
Second Half
2. TWU Isabella di Trocchio (1), 67th
Goalkeepers:
TWU: Ally Williamson (W, 0 GA, 3 saves, 90:00, 1-0)
UCB: Lysianne Trottier (L, 2 GA, 5 saves, 90:00, 0-1)
Team Stats
Shots: TWU 14, UCB 6
Shots on net: TWU 7, UCB 3
Corners: TWU 10, UCB 3
Offsides: TWU 2, UCB 0
Fouls: TWU 10, UCB 7
Yellow cards: None
Red cards: None
Players of the game:
TWU: Jenaya Robertson
UCB: Alyssa Armstrong
SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PACIFIC TIME)
Thursday, Nov. 12
11:00 Quarter-final 1: Laval 1, Wilfrid Laurier 0
13:30 Quarter-final 2: Trinity Western 2, Cape Breton 0
16:30 Quarter-final 3: Sherbrooke vs. Queen's (CIS-SIC.tv)
19:00 Quarter-final 4: Calgary vs. UBC (CIS-SIC.tv)
Friday, Nov. 13
11:00 Consolation 1: Wilfrid Laurier vs. Cape Breton (CIS-SIC.tv)
13:30 Consolation 2: Loser QF 3 vs. Loser QF 4 (CIS-SIC.tv)
Saturday, Nov. 14
11:00 5th-place game (CIS-SIC.tv)
13:30 Semifinal 1: Laval vs. Trinity Western (CIS-SIC.tv)
16:30 Semifinal 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4 (CIS-SIC.tv)
Sunday, Nov. 15
13:30 Bronze medal (CIS-SIC.tv)
16:30 Championship final (CIS-SIC.tv)