Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Exhibiting the growth they've shown since the beginning of the season, the MacEwan Griffins hammered the visiting UNBC Timberwolves 3-0 in Canada West women's soccer action at Clareview Field on Saturday afternoon.
If not for UNBC keeper Brityn Hinsche, the score would have been much worse; she recorded eight saves as the Griffins outshot the Timberwolves 18-1, with 11 of those on goal.
The lopsided victory moves the defending U SPORTS champions to 3-2-0 on the season, while UNBC falls to 2-3-0.
"We talked about the growth we've had from the first set of games here and we saw it today," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro.
"I think it was just a complete performance. I'm very happy with the group today. We'll take the clean sheet. We'll enjoy it, reset and refocus for tomorrow."
MacEwan came flying out of the gates and Grace Mwasalla nearly opened the scoring just over a minute in, but Hinsche dove to stop her volley.
Another Grace … Grace Schimpf, to be exact … got the Griffins on the board, though, in the seventh minute when her shot from distance bulged the mesh inside the left post.
"That finish was next level," said Cordeiro, who named Schimpf his game MVP. "She put in her first career 90 minutes today as well and was clinical all game. We played her in a couple different spots. We just love how she drove play and was beating people on the dribble. Her skill set is next level."
Mwasalla took the scoring from there, adding two goals in just 64 minutes of work as MacEwan rolled to a comfortable victory.
"I think a big part of it was our training this week," said Mwasalla. "We saw the standard after the UBC game and we wanted to build on that performance because we left with our heads held high.
"We executed today and we're just going to continue to grow throughout the season."
Taylor Sousa jukes out two UNBC defenders on a second-half play (Tia Schram photo).
Mwasalla made it 2-0 in the 37th minute when she split UNBC's centre-backs and got the slightest touch on Alyx Henderson's cross, deflecting it off a defender and in.
"I honestly got my big toe on it," she said. "It went off the centre-back and in."
The ball initially went through the side netting and there was a delayed reaction before the goal was confirmed.
Mwasalla's second one left no doubt, however, as she salted away MacEwan's victory in the 60th minute. After Anneke Odinga beat four defenders on an inspired run up the right sideline, Mwasalla corralled her cross and placed it neatly inside the left post.
"Grace Mwasalla's been next level for us," said Cordeiro. "She's always been that linchpin. You can't fall asleep on her because she'll make the opponent pay. Today, she had two quality finishes.
"She stepped up today when we needed it."
The 3-0 lead allowed the Griffins to get every player on their bench into the match, including second-year goalkeeper Toni Gill, who saw 20 minutes in the first action of her Canada West career, replacing starter Bianca Castillo. In that time, she recorded a save in extra time when UNBC's Hannah Emmond hit the Timberwolves' only shot of the contest – a relatively tame offering easily scooped up by Gill.
Next up for the Griffins is a home match vs. Calgary on Sunday (4:30 p.m., Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV), while the Timberwolves visit Alberta (12 p.m.).
