When you build a program, you have to take a number of steps along the road to maturity.  The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women's soccer team learned some lessons on a Saturday afternoon (Sept 29).

The Trinity Western University Spartans showed why they are the third ranked team in the nation.  The Spartans dominated as they downed the host Thompson Rivers University WolfPack  in Canada West women's soccer on Saturday (Sept 29) .   The match was played at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops.

Trinity got first half goals from Amy Gartke, Jenaya Robertson and Kathleen Chin and never looked back.  Seina Kashma, Gabriella Short  and Elizabeth Hicks added markers in the second half.   Rachel Sydor (5^th year, Tsawwassen, BC) notched her third shutout of the season

The Spartans move to 6-1 on the year to lead the Pacific Division. Thompson Rivers remains in the basement of the division at 1-6.

The game marked Thompson Rivers becoming a "You Can Play" School in support of LGBTQ2 inclusion in sport.  There was a ceremony before the match.

SYNOPSIS

TRU saw starting keeper Danielle Robertson (2^nd year, Courtenay, BC) back in the lineup after missing two and a half matches. She was tested twice in the first four minutes of the match. One of the best chances came when Gabriella Short (3^rd year, midfield, Calgary, AB) sliced through the WolfPack back line and just missed the mark.

TRU tested Sydor just past the fifth minute mark when Marisa Mendonca (4^th year, midfield, Penticton, BC) just put a drive over the post.

The Spartans put on a clinic with 18 shots in the first half.

TRU's best chance came in the 39 th minute when Camryn Curts (2^nd year, midfield, Courtenay, BC) went down the leftside and shot the ball from a sharp angle which skirted across the net out of the reach of a streaking Abbie Simms (1^st year, midfield, Campbell River, BC).

The Spartans opened up the second half with Seina Kashima scoring her fifth goal of the campaign.  She assisted on Trinity's fifth goal in the 51^st minute by Elizabeth Hicks.

Best chance for the Pack came in the 76 th minute when Ainsley Grether (1^st year, midfield, Kamloops, BC) got a pass in the box and the ball rolled off her foot.

The match marked the return of Marlie Rittinger (Ashcroft, BC) to the WolfPack line up.  She hadn't played with the WolfPack for three seasons.  She was inserted in the second half. Rittinger had a couple of chances in the second 45 minutes. Rittinger began her university career at Simon Fraser University.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:  click here

KEY STATS:

Goal scoring:

1. TRINITY 17:06-Amy Gartke (5^th year, Edmonton, AB)-took a pass from Seina Kashima (5^th year, forward, Burnaby, B) on the far side and split the WolfPack back line. Her left foot shot made it past Robertson.  Gartke's fourth goal of the year.  TRINITY 1  TRU 0
2. TRINITY-20:09—Jenaya Robertson (4^th year, midfield, Delta, BC) was the recipient of some hard work done by Sierra Haldorson (1^st year, midfield, Winnipeg, MB) who outmuscled the TRU defender deep on the right side of the pitch. She put it into the middle for Robertson who blasted the ball high right side.  Robertson's third goal of the year.  TRINITY 2  TRU 0
3. TRINITY-23:27—Kathleen Chin (5^th year, midfield, Calgary, AB)  got the pass after Robertson turned and set her up from 20 yards out.  Chin's first goal of the season.  TRINITY 3  TRU 0
4. TRINITY: -48:53—Seina Kashima (5^th year, forward, Burnaby, BC) got a through ball from Makenna Dieterich (1^st year, forward, Burnaby, BC) who split the TRU back line and put a shot high right side on Robertson.  Her fifth goal of the year  TRINITY  4  TRU 0
5. TRINITY-54:53-- Elizabeth Hicks ( 3^rd year, Surrey, BC) was left unchecked in the 18 yard box and made no mistake. Kashima drew the assist. Hicks 2^nd goal of the campaign.  TRINITY 5   TRU 0
6. TRINITY-83:56-  Gabriella Short (3^rd year, midfield/forward, Calgary, AB) put in the rebound after Robertson made the initial stop on a drive by Kashima.  Short's fourth goal of the year.  TRINITY 6   TRU 0

Shots:   TRINITY WESTERN: 18-11:29    TRU: 1-4:5  

Corners:  TRINITY WESTERN:   9-5:14     TRU:1-3:4

 Saves:   TRU: 6 -2:8 TRINITY WESTERN:  0-1:1 

 Shots on goal:  TRINITY WESTERN:  10-3:13     TRU: 0-4:4

 Keepers:   TRU:   Danielle Robertson (2nd year, Courtenay, BC) 1-4       TRINITY WESTERN: Rachel Sydor (5^th year, Tsawwassen, BC)  6-1

RECORDS:

TRINITY WESTERN:  6-1 (1^st in Pacific Division)       TRU:  1-6  (6^th in Pacific Division)

QUOTES:

TRU head coach Kelly Shantz (3rd season): 

On Learning from this match: "Like any of the gold standard across our league—UBC, Trinity Western certainly wonderful. Playing against UVIC—they have won national championships. Playing against these teams week in and week out is tough. Certainly Trinity is a class program. They are a team we want to emulate. Our girls effort wasn't lacking. Today's effort is on me. This was a coaching day. We are a young squad. I put them into a defensive shape and asked them to do some stuff we haven't done all year in order to try and contain that team. I was hoping to use somethings I picked up from teams that were successful against Trinity.  But we hadn't worked on it all year and it cost us three or four goals.  We ran around and tried to play a system that I put in place three or four days ago.  Sometimes I take too big a step.  Today is on me. The girls worked hard but I put them in an awkward place that they couldn't handle."

VIDEO OF COACH SHANTZ POST GAME INTERVIEW:   click here 

On being dominated by a quality squad: "We tried our best. They are a tough team. They are quick. They fast and experience. It wasn't the result what we wanted. But we tried our best and that is all we can do. We can only get better playing against a team like that. They have fourth or fifth year players starting all around. They have a lot of experience. Of course we want to be like them. Hopefully in the future we will be."

VIDEO OF CURTS POST GAME INTERVIEW:  click here

Spartans head coach Graham Roxburgh (20th season):

 On game: "We talked about generating chances early and pressing a little bit higher. I thought they (TRU) competed but once we started to score they had to come out a bit and opened up some space. I am pleased. We started well and were on our front foot. We weren't like that last week. In the end, we generated a lot of chances. It was a decent performance but I thought we could get sharper on our decisions.

On ball control and possession game: " We work lots on possession and like to keep the ball on the ground. We have some talented people at midfield in Jennaye, Amy and Katchen . When they are on the ball we keep possession very well. We also have some weapons up front. I am quite pleased we put some links together. We put some nice combinations together. We didn't get the final product quite often but I was pleased."

VIDEO OF COACH ROXBURGH POST GAME INTERVIEW:  Click here

UP NEXT:

The WolfPack continue their three match home stand as they play host to the University of Fraser Valley Cascades tomorrow (Sunday, Sept 30).   Kick off will be 1 pm.

The Spartans will move into Kelowna, BC on Sunday to do battle with the UBCO Heat at Nonis Field.

The Heat and WolfPack will then play a home and home series beginning on Thursday (Oct 4⁾  at Hillside Stadium.  It will be a 6 pm kick off.   It's the third game in the "President's Cup" series between the two schools.  Thomspon Rivers leads the series with three points after the men's soccer team beat and drew against UBCO.

The series includes battles between the two schools in basketball and volleyball and now cross country.

The matches will be webcast  live on a pay per view basis on www.Canadawest.TV.

OF NOTE:

The McDonald's/TRU Bookstore  "Leader of the Pack" player of the match was for the second time this season, Curts.