VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's soccer team collected their first road win of the season Saturday night with a 4-0 victory against the Winnipeg Wesmen.
BOXSCORE
UBC often gets much of its energy from its younger players, including eight rookies and six second-years, but tonight their experience was too much for Winnipeg to handle.
All four goals came from seniors playing in their fourth or fifth seasons on the team. UBC coach Mark Rogers said that “it's a funny group that way. We have a few senior players but the rest of them are all young, so I just feed off that. The fact that they are getting so many minutes as such young players will definitely pay off down the road.”
The match was originally set for 12 p.m. at the Winnipeg Soccer Complex, but was delayed to 6 p.m. after the field was deemed unplayable. Following the wait, neither team seemed to be able to get going for much of the first half. UBC appeared to struggle with their connections, allowing turnovers and getting caught offside several times.
A foul in the 37th minute led to a scary bounce off a Winnipeg free kick that nearly got past UBC keeper
Alyssa Williamson (Langley, BC). Winnipeg followed up with another challenge, getting two great chances back-to-back. But in the end, Williamson needed to make just two saves on route to her first shutout of the season.
UBC soon rebounded from Winnipeg's brief attack and took a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Team captain
Kelly Cook (Maple Ridge, BC) returned to action for the first time this season and scored off a corner kick in the 41st minute.
Throughout the last couple of weeks, Cook has been sidelined but has tried to keep a positive attitude and lead by example, keeping her training intensity high and focus a priority despite that she couldn't play. She was a loud voice on the bench and made sure her teammates know that she's always here for support. Ever optimistic, Cook took the time out as a learning experience.
“It's been a long process but it feels amazing to be back on the pitch. I got to see the play from a different angle which I think helped me during the first game,” she said. Describing the confidence boost she got from scoring the game winner tonight, she added, “considering my situation lately, a goal was definitely a positive for my game.”
Coach Mark Rogers was pleased to have his captain back, and her impact was noticeable. “Kelly looked great out there and so did her partner Alisha (Penev), despite the fact both are fighting pretty serious colds. They did very well, they looked very comfortable,” he said.
The Thunderbirds used the momentum of Cook's goal to come back out strong after the break. They immediately went on the attack and used set pieces to fire a total of 21 shots, seven of which were on target. They got their second goal in the 62nd minute when midfielder
Taylor Shannik (Richmond, BC) made a well-placed pass to forward
Rachael Sawer (North Vancouver, BC), who easily found the top corner of the net for her second goal of the season.
Fifth-year midfielder
Rachel Ramsden (Richmond, BC) came off the bench and put the game away for UBC with two more goals in the 84th and 87th minute.
The Thunderbirds now have a 3-1-0 record to start the season. They have to make do with a short rest tonight as they will face the University of Manitoba Bisons tomorrow at 10 a.m.
UBC fans can catch the next women's soccer home game on Friday, Sept. 28 on David Sidoo Field at Thunderbird Stadium. Game time is set for 5 p.m. against the Saskatchewan Huskies.
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