VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds head out on the road this week for a key early season match against rival Trinity Western in Langley. The Spartans edged out the 'Birds for top spot in the tables last season before going on to win the Canada West women's soccer title. Kick off is at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15. Fans can watch the game live on
CanadaWest.tv.
No. 8 UBC Thunderbirds (2-0-0)
Last Week: W 5-1 vs Calgary and W 4-0 vs Lethbridge
There didn't appear to be any early-season jitters for the T-Birds last week, as the offence was firing on all cylinders and the defence was tight save for one blunder leading to a goal-against in the opener.
To nobody's surprise,
Janine Frazao shouldered much of the offensive load. The 2011 Canada West scoring champ already has three goals, including one in the first minute of both games last week. Coach Mark Rogers noted how the games opened up for his squad thanks to those early leads, and while chances will certainly be harder to come by against the Spartans, look for Frazao to harass the Trinity Western defence from the opening kickoff as she looks to continue that trend.
Taryn Lim also has three goals after week one, already surpassing her total from last year. The fourth-year forward has typically played more of a setup role for the 'Birds in the past, but she proved that she can finish a play as well in week one, and could have had even more goals on the scoresheet given the number of scoring chances UBC had.
If there was an area of concern after their strong showing last week, it would be finishing. Nine goals in two soccer matches is hardly a disappointing showing, but the 'Birds probably could have doubled their offensive output if the finishing was a little more on-point, and it will need to be that way against the Spartans. Even a single missed scoring opportunity against a team of that quality could easily be the difference between a win and a draw or a draw and a loss.
No. 3 Trinity Western Spartans (2-0-0)
Last Week: W 6-0 vs Lethbridge and W 6-1 vs Calgary
The Spartans were nearly flawless in the 2011 regular season en route to a Canada West title, and they appear to be the team to beat once again, with most of their key players returning.
The entire back line, including All-Canadian keeper Kristen Funk, remains unchanged, so breaking onto the scoresheet will be a challenge even for the high-octane UBC offence. They allowed just seven goals in the regular season last year, although the T-Birds did account for two of those.
The one area that saw significant retooling for Trinity Western is their forward unit, but if week one was any indication, the new group seems to be working out just fine.
First-year striker Krista Gommeringer already has four goals in her young CIS career, as does third-year midfielder Jenna Di Nunzio. Gommeringer was named the Canada West Female Athlete of the Week.
Senior forward Jessica King also has a pair of goals coming off the bench, so the Spartans should have the depth and range of options to give the UBC backline their first real test of the season this weekend.
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