VANCOUVER – First-year defender Tilly James played hero with a stellar top corner strike to break the scoreless deadlock in the 76
th minute and lift the Trinity Western Spartans past the UBC Thunderbirds 1-0 under rainy skies at Thunderbird Stadium.
As expected, it was a physical and entertaining affair from these two rivals and a tail of two halves with UBC enjoying more than their fair share of possession in the opening frame while the visitors only got stronger after the break.
TWU took advantage of their one shot on target for the night as James' incredible strike was driven from the top of the 18-yard box on a rope to the top right corner past the diving outstretched hands of T-Birds goalkeeper
Emily Moore and proved to be the difference on the night. With the win TWU remains undefeated on the season improving to 11-0 as they set their sights on finishing a top the Canada West standings while UBC suffered their first setback of the season and sit at 8-1
"Credit to both teams, for sure physical for sure fiercely contested but I thought fair," said Spartans head coach Graham Roxburgh sharing his assessment of the overall proceedings. "You know sometimes these cross-town rivalries can get chippy but I thought fair and I really give them credit, there was a couple moments in the first half where we were bending but good thing we didn't break. Our keeper (Hannah Miller) made two unbelievable saves and it's hard to go on the road especially back-to-back and we know UBC is a very good team so to come out halftime 0-0 we regrouped and I said look if you start to play and believe a bit more and I think we did. We acquitted ourselves very well and defended very well other than a one or two times where we gave the ball away in bad spaces but credit my kids, they played with tons of heart tonight."
The early stages saw a chess match between the familiar foes before UBC settled into a spell of better possession and field position. The T-Birds most dangerous early chance came off a free kick deep in Spartans territory in the 13
th minute. Defender
Ella Nuttall-Smith snuck up field for the set piece and collected the ball at the six-yard box then proceeded to unleash two consecutive shots that TWU defended brilliantly in collapsing and blocking both dangerous attempts.
The Spartans would respond with one of their first forays into UBC territory as Kathryn Harvey did well to find room just inside the 18-yard box but sent her shot just over the cross bar. One minute later it was Harvey setting up teammate Sierra Halldorson at the top of the box for a one-time blast that went narrowly wide of the T-Birds left goalpost.
Leading to halftime it was a fairly stingy affair until minute 40 when UBC seemingly flipped a switch that produced two exhilarating chances off the foot of midfielder
Katalin Tolnai. The first in minute 41 making space for herself on the left side of the box and unleashing a hard shot that was again well blocked by the TWU defence. One minute later Tolnai found herself at point blank range on the nine-yard line and sent a line drive towards goal only to be nicely punched away by Spartans goal keeper Hannah Miller.
The best early chance of the second half came courtesy of TWU in the 59
th minute with an in-swinging corner kick sent far post, UBC goalkeeper
Emily Moore did well to punch the ball away from initial danger but it bounced to Spartans forward Makenna Dietrich who's well taken volley sailed just over the crossbar.
The T-Birds best chance would come in minute 67 as midfielder
Sophie Damian sent a long pinpoint through ball to a streaking Tolnai who ran onto it and sent a left footed strike just wide right from about 15-yards out.
Following James' heat seeking marker to put TWU up 1-0 in the 76
th minute the T-Birds best chances to equalize would come in extra time off a corner kick. Sophia Ferreria sent in an in swinging left footed cross that led to a flurry of activity in the goal mouth, Damian would get the best chance for the hosts with a strike from seven yards out that was well blocked by a lunging Miller in the visitor net.
The intensity shown on the evening was a surprise to no one as the squads combined for 23 fouls while the T-Birds were shown three yellow cards during the proceedings to go along with their four shots on goal. The 'Birds and Spartans will both rest and ice up before meeting again on Saturday night with kickoff at 5:30 p.m. at Thunderbird Stadium.
