Dan Kinvig, UFV Athletics
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Bori Falaye's goal in the opening minute of play changed the complexion of the game, and sent the Calgary Dinos on their way to a 2-0 victory over the UFV Cascades in Canada West men's soccer action on Saturday evening.
Mere moments after the opening kick-off, the ball took an odd bounce and hit the right hand of Cascades defender Jun Won Choi, giving the visiting Dinos a free kick inside Cascades territory. They converted with ruthless precision – Jared Fillo sent the ball in to Bori Falaye, and he rose to meet it a split-second before UFV defender Tammer Byrne and goalkeeper Alex Skrzeta arrived, heading it over them and into the net.
The Cascades (1-4-1) pressed for the equalizer but came up empty, and Falaye added an insurance marker from the penalty spot in the 86th minute for the Dinos (3-3-0).
"It's 1-0 after 54 seconds, and it's a bit of an uphill battle from there," UFV head coach Tom Lowndes noted. "But I thought we responded well . . . we came out in the second half and really, I thought we dominated for 35 minutes. All the play was in their half. But we're just not quite good enough in the final third right now.
"It's the quality in our delivery – that goes to our set pieces and it goes to our balls from out wide. It just wasn't really good enough tonight. When we have quality delivery, we have guys in the box who can score goals. But we didn't really give them too much of a chance to get in the box."
The Cascades' best looks at an equalizer came in the second half. Brady Weir, in the 67th minute, had his sharp-angle effort smothered by Dinos keeper Jake Ruschkowski. And in the 83rd, Gurmaan Jhaj's free kick found Choi at the far post, but his close-range header went off the woodwork.
Shortly thereafter, Falaye was taken down in the box by UFV's Spencer Williams, and he stepped to the spot and sent a bottom-corner shot past Skrzeta.
"We had a tough game last night against UBC (a 1-0 loss), a very good side, and we always knew this was going to be a difficult game," Dinos coach Brendan O'Connell said. "We're very young, we're learning the hard way a little bit, but I'm pleased with three points."
Both teams are back in action next weekend. The Cascades hit the road to visit the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Saturday and the MacEwan Griffins on Sunday. The Dinos, meanwhile, return home to host a Saturday-Sunday set against the UBC Okanagan Heat and the Trinity Western Spartans, respectively.