VANCOUVER – The No. 3 ranked UBC Thunderbirds utilized a goal only one minute and two seconds into the 2010 edition of the Challenge Cup to defeat the Simon Fraser University Clan women's soccer team 1-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Thunderbird Park. UBC now leads the all-time Challenge Cup series 10-3-1.
The T-Birds open their 2010 Canada West regular season this weekend with a trip to Alberta to take on Calgary and Lethbridge. Their home opener is September 17 against Manitoba.
Rachael Sawer tallied the lone goal of the game, taking a cross from
Janine Frazao at the lower right side of the box, turning and beating Simon Fraser keeper Amelia Ng to the high short side to put the Thunderbirds up 1-0.
The Thunderbirds applied pressure early in the second half; however Ng broke up a cross off the opening whistle, and subsequently stoned
Natalie Hirayama inside the six-yard box to keep the Clan within a goal. The teams traded scoring opportunities midway through the half; the Thunderbirds created back-to-back corner kicks, while at the other end Jessica Hadden was robbed point blank by UBC keeper
Meghan Best.
In the 66th minute, Hirayama was handed her second yellow card of the match and sent off, handing SFU a player advantage. Accordingly, the Thunderbirds tightened up their defence, and Simon Fraser was unable to produce the equalizer. Best earned the victory in goal for the T-Birds, making three saves for the shutout, while Ng made four saves in the loss.
- with files from SFU Sports Information-30-
