VANCOUVER –
Danielle Steer,
Josie Claypool and
Sophie Damian all scored for the UBC Thunderbirds en route to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Thompson Rivers Wolfpack Saturday evening at Thunderbird Stadium.
Despite the score line it was a very close overall matchup and good road performance from TRU who created several chances especially during a determined second half. The T-Birds were able to capitalize early with Steer and Claypool hitting the scoreboard in the eighth and 17
th minute respectively ahead of Damien adding more insurance in minute 84. Meanwhile Wolfpack midfielder Ainsley Grether converted on a 90
th minute penalty kick to cap a spirited second half from TRU.
With the win the T-Birds improve to 10-1 on the Canada West season and maintain top spot in the Pacific Division and overall standings with 30 points through 11 games while the Wolfpack fall to 4-3-2.
With the one goal and assist Steer continued her fine point producing pace and with two more she continues her chase to become the Canada West Women's Soccer all-time leading point producer. The fifth-year striker now has 63 total points in her CW career and sits just two points back of all-time scoring leader and UBC Women's Soccer alumna Jasmin Dhanda (2013-17) at 65 points.
"That is what we wanted to do and we had such a good mindset in that first-half, I thought we were full credit for our ability," said UBC head coach
Jesse Symons in reference to capitalizing on early chances. "Scoring early was what we need to do in these games to control them and that's the identity we need to have and I think scoring off a corner as well in the first half was fantastic so full credit to the team today and well worth the victory today."
It was the visitors who had the best early chance to open the scoring in minute number five as midfielder Bridget Baird was sent in on a partial breakaway from a ball over the top and in a great position to score but T-Birds goalkeeper
Sarah Johns did well to rush out and block the shot from close range.
Four minutes later the T-Birds would strike first from a corner kick that found its way to the TRU nine-yard line where
Sophia Ferreira drove a hard low shot on net which dribbled through several Wolfpack defenders before Steer tapped home her team leading 10
th goal of the season for the 1-0 advantage.
TRU would respond five minutes later with another dangerous chance as Camryn Curts poked a ball past the UBC backline for a breakaway down the right flank but she chose to shoot early from 20 yards away and the ball drifted just wide of the far side left post.
UBC would increase their lead in the 17
th minute and it started at the right foot of Steer in the left-wing corner sending a skyward cross into the TRU danger area where it fell to
Josie Claypool who with a one touch directed a trickling ball just inside the far-right post and a 2-0 score line. The second-year midfielder's first goal as a T-Bird.
Following the break TRU came out with even more determined play that led to excellent scoring chances in the 48
th and 57
th minute, the latter in the form of a well struck shot rattling off the post.
Furthermore, the Wolfpack were forced to swap goalkeepers at halftime after starter Marissa Young was involved in a heavy late first half collision. In Young's place was first-year Makayla Kusch who was more than up for the task in making numerous impressive saves, stopping 11 of 12 shots the rest of the way.
The T-Birds would go up 3-0 in the 84
th minute after Damian corralled a ball that was bouncing all around the TRU box and placed a left footed shot into the left corner from 10-yards out to register her first goal of the season.
TRU's lone marker came in the 90
th minute when Grether didn't hesitate to send her penalty kick right down the middle and just under the crossbar past Johns in the UBC net to finish the night with a 3-1 final.
Next up for the T-Birds is a trip to Victoria to meet the Vikes next Friday, October 7 with a 5:00 p.m. kickoff while TRU is back at home hosting the UBC Okanagan Heat and a 5:30 p.m. start.
