Playing their fourth game in five days, the Trinity Western University women’s soccer team battled the Seattle Pacific University Falcons to a 0-0 draw at home this weekend.
In the game played at Yorkson Community Park in Willoughby on Saturday night, TWU’s fifth-year keeper Rachel Sydor was solid in net for the Spartans, making a couple of game-saving stops to earn the Spartans the point and extending her shutout streak to more than three games.
TWU head coach Graham Roxburgh was “pleased” with how the team played Saturday.
“We started okay, but early in the first half they started to find their rhythm and made it very difficult for us and we were reacting to everything,” the coach said.
“So we challenged our girls at half time to be less reactionary and move off the ball, keep possession, and find each other’s feet. And I thought we did and our energy was much better, even though we had played three games in three nights we didn’t wilt,” Roxburgh said.
Sydor made six saves to preserve the draw, while the Falcon’s four keepers made two saves.
“Rachel Sydor made two unbelievable saves and probably deserves to be the player of the game for us,” Roxburgh said.
Sydor’s shutout streak is now 284 minutes, while the Spartans streak is now at 374.
“We were probably the stronger team at the finish and were unlucky not to be able to generate the goal that could have won it for us,” added Sydor.
In the meantime, Seattle Pacific University split the goal keeping duties between Abby Smith, Riley Travis, Kaylie Nelson, and Rachel Maddy. Smith earned the start and played 32 minutes of the match.
Seattle Pacific had control of much of the first half as they outshot Trinity Western 11-2 in the opening frame. The Spartans responded in the second half evening the shots at 5-5, with a couple of quality opportunities.
TWU will now have a few days off before returning to action Tuesday night at 7 p.m. when they will host the NCAA Div II seventh ranked Western Washington University Vikings.
The match will again be played at Yorkson Community Park at 20591 84th Ave. in Langley.
Trinity Western’s women’s soccer team will open its Canada West championship defence with a rematch of last year’s gold medal game against Victoria Sept. 7 at the Spartans Chase Office Field.
The Spartans season-opening contest is part of a key home weekend in which the Spartans will also host UBC Sept. 8. TWU capped last year’s Canada West campaign with a 3-0 semifinal win over the Thunderbirds followed by a 2-1 win over the Vikes in the conference final.
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How about the guys
In the meantime, in men’s play, the guys also played the Seattle Pacific University Falcons Saturday night, but fell 2-1 at the Interbay Stadium.
TWU rookie keeper Michael Boehmer took the loss for the Spartans.
Next up for the Spartans is the Canada West season opener.
TWU will travel to the Okanagan to take on UBC Okanagan on Saturday, Aug. 25, before travelling to Kamloops to take on Thompson Rivers University on Sunday, Aug. 26.
Both matches can be seen live on CanadaWest.TV.
TWU head coach Mike Shearon wasn’t thrilled with the loss.
“I am happy with the work and the attitude the boys had tonight,” Shearon said.
“Boehmer had a number of really good saves in goal tonight. We created a number of chances as well and just didn’t capitalize. Overall you never like losing but it was a good game overall.”