Fraser Valley (Dan Kinvig) – Women’s Soccer -Thunderbirds fend off Cascades 2-0
The University of the Fraser Valley women’s soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision at home to the UBC Thunderbirds on Friday evening at Rotary Stadium.
Tess McRae opened the scoring in the 36th minute for the U SPORTS No. 4-ranked T-Birds, and with the Cascades pressing forward in second-half injury time, Sophie Damian rounded out the scoring.
The Cascades (0-3-2) had several solid scoring chances in the first half, but keeper Emily Moore came up with seven saves on the night for UBC (5-0-0).
The two teams wrap up the weekend set on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m., Rotary Stadium).
“It was a team effort defensively, and I liked that we didn’t shut off and kept fighting and pushing throughout the game,” UFV assistant coach Shelby Beck said afterward. “There are just little errors we need to fix, and we need to capitalize on our chances when we do have them. The final third is where we’re struggling right now, and once we can get that under wraps, I think we’ll give teams a good run for their money.”
The Cascades had the better scoring chances early – in the 13th minute, Jashan Sandhar came racing down the right flank and sent in a cross, and Jiya Kaila’s close-range header was saved by Moore.
In the 32nd, Avery Tulloch’s corner found Taylor Nekic’s head, but her effort was blocked by a T-Birds defender.
Just three minutes later, the T-Birds broke the ice. The Cascades initially cleared a UBC corner, but the visitors were able to send it back into the box to McRae, and she had space to beat UFV keeper Joven Sandhu with a rising shot into the top right corner.
Sandhu had a nice save later in the half, rising to tip Janika Sangha’s shot over the bar.
The T-Birds kept the Cascades largely at bay in the second half, but Halle McCambley gave the hosts some energy as the half wore on, and captain Brittany Costa had a couple of attempts from distance that were handled by Moore.
In injury time, UBC put the game away – Danielle Steer’s shot hit the crossbar, but fell to Damian for the close-range finish.
Men’s Soccer: Cole’s goal boosts T-Birds past Cascades
Mackenzie Cole’s goal was the difference as the UBC Thunderbirds edged the UFV Cascades in Canada West men’s soccer action on Friday evening at Rotary Stadium.
In a relentlessly physical contest that featured a combined 10 yellow cards between the two teams – yet all to different individuals, and thus no ejections – a brilliant pass from UBC’s Nick Fussell sprung Cole for the game-winner in the 54th minute.
The Cascades (0-3-2), try as they might, were unable to net the equalizer, and will seek a measure of revenge on Sunday when they meet the U SPORTS No. 9-ranked T-Birds (2-0-3) once again (3 p.m., Rotary Stadium).
“A lapse of concentration for 30 seconds, a ball down the side of us – we’ve made a mistake, and they’ve punished us for it,” UFV head coach Tom Lowndes noted afterward. “That’s what good teams do.
“They were clinical with that chance, and they’ve had another chance at the end, but I thought we defended very, very well for massive parts of the game. I thought we were solid, compact, organized, difficult to break down, and had great hunger and desire.
“Just that one opportunity where they’ve scored, and we didn’t take ours.”
The Cascades had the better of the chances in the first half – Mikael Mainella had a good look early on a dangerous foray, but his shot was blocked by a pair of UBC defenders. Later on, in the 39th minute, Manpal Brar took a crack from well outside the box and beat T-Birds keeper Bennett McKay, but his shot hit the junction of the post and the crossbar and stayed out.
At the other end, UBC generated a handful of promising crosses, but UFV keeper Jackson Cowx handled them with ease.
In the 54th, an outstanding pass from Fussell, deep in the midfield, threaded the needle through multiple layers of the UFV defence and found Cole in stride. He chipped the ball past an on-rushing Cowx.
Jun Won Choi, back in the Cascades’ lineup for the first time since 2018, and David Parfett gave the Cascades great energy as they pushed for the equalizer down the stretch, but despite putting pressure on the visitors, they were unable to connect.
“Obviously they (UBC) are one of the top programs in Canada West and nationally,” Lowndes noted. “But the boys have stepped up, and we always compete, always give them a battle.
“I love this team. I can’t say enough about this team, and I can’t say how lucky I am to get to coach them and be involved, see the boys put the work in every day. For the work they’ve put in, they’re not getting rewarded. It’s a hard slog when you think you deserve more, and I know we deserve more. But just a fantastic group to work with, and I couldn’t be prouder of the effort tonight and I couldn’t be prouder to be their coach.”
