VANCOUVER - History was made at Thunderbird Stadium on Friday night as UBC forward Danielle Steer wrote her name in the history books with a record setting two-point performance in the 3-0 win over old foes Trinity Western Spartans.
Those points saw Steer set the all-time Canada West career points record in women's soccer, taking her tally to 67 and moving her past another Thunderbirds legend Jasmine Dhanda's 65 points total which she had equalled last weekend.
It was one of many records on the radar for Steer this season and to achieve it at home on a night that also saw the Thunderbirds lock in the number one seeding for the upcoming Canada West playoffs, made it all the more special.
"It's not quite sunk in yet," a beaming Steer said after the match. "It's been something that's been on my mind but it's not something that I've let consume me this season.. I didn't let it stress me out and I think it came naturally that way."
UBC were dominant in this one from the off, with Nisa Reehal forcing big saves from TWU goalkeeper Hannah Miller in the 5th and the 10th minutes.
The Spartans got their first chance of the game in the 14th minute when Charity Field was played in but fired over from just inside the box.
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Reehal finally got the reward her play deserved when she finished a Steer cutback from the byeline from six yards out, which Miller got a hand to but couldn't keep out. A 7th goal of the season for Reehal and the all-important record breaking point for Steer, sending Thunderbird Stadium into jubilation.
The game started to get a little bit bogged down in the middle of the park but Field had another chance to get the Spartans on the scoresheet in the 39th minute with a cross-come-shot that had Thunderbird keeper
Sarah Johns scrambling and forced to tip the ball over her bar from the goalline.
UBC doubled their lead in the 45th minute as Steer got her second assist of the night, playing in
Katalin Tolnai, whose shot wriggled under Miller and into the bottom far corner.
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The Spartans came out livelier to start the second half, but the Thunderbirds were very much in the ascendency and added to their lead six minutes after the restart when Reehal grabbed her second of the evening, heading home a pass from
Jade Taylor-Ryan.
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To their credit, Trinity Western didn't let their heads fall and started to take the game to UBC, enjoying the majority of the possession but without carving out many clear cut goal scoring opportunities, with Kylie Hendricks' shot midway through the half, that was saved by Sarah Johns, the closest they came.
The victory moved UBC to a 12-1 record, setting a team record for the most wins in a season, securing the number one seeding for the upcoming Canada West playoffs and clinching head coach Jesse Symon's first divisional title in the process.
"The stars were aligned tonight," a delighted Symon said after the match. "They're a really good team. They're a talented group and we should be seeing them again, hopefully, as we move on here. I felt that we came here with the mindset to get the job done tonight and not worry it about it tomorrow night. I'm super proud of the whole group. They found ways to score goals."
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UBC play their final game of the regular season on Saturday night when they host the UFV Cascades on Seniors Night with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff at Thunderbird Stadium, while Trinity Western head over to Vancouver Island to face the UVic Vikes with a 5:00 p.m. start time.
All the action can be seen on
Canada West TV.
