CIS Media/Morning Star Staff
The visiting University of Fraser Valley Cascades grounded the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack 1-0 in Canada West men’s soccer league regular season play Monday at Hillside Stadium.
The game was originally slated to be played Saturday but was postponed due to wildfire smoke in the B.C. Interior.
After a scoreless first half, where the WolfPack dominated offensively with seven shots, Fraser Valley got on the board first. Ryan Donald (third year, defender, Surrey) was inserted into the lineup to begin the second half and found the back of the net in the 47th minute after knocking home a rebound after a free kick.
🏔 MSOC | Cascades GOAL! On a scramble off a corner kick, @Gurmaan_Jhaj pokes the ball over to Ryan Donald for the finish!@goUFV 1@GoTRUWolfPack 0#GoCascades pic.twitter.com/FNYI10c6PZ
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) August 27, 2018
Vernon’s Finlay McPhie, a fourth-year fullback, was pulled in the second minute after aggravating a strained ligament. He was replaced by Vernon’s Scott Kramer, a freshman.
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The Pack looked to counter a minute later when on a free kick of their own, Mitch Popadynetz (fifth year, midfield, Nelson) took a free kick which was headed towards by net by Josh Banton (second year, defender, London, England).
Fraser Valley keeper Alex Skrzeta (fifth year, Coquitlam) stretched to his left to keep it out. The WolfPack outshot Fraser Valley 16-7.
🏔 MSOC | Cascades GOAL! On a scramble off a corner kick, @Gurmaan_Jhaj pokes the ball over to Ryan Donald for the finish!@goUFV 1@GoTRUWolfPack 0#GoCascades pic.twitter.com/FNYI10c6PZ
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) August 27, 2018
Said TRU head coach John Antulov: “It’s been a while since we played. There was a little bit of rust in our game especially going forward and attack. I thought defensively we were solid. We made one little mistake at the back there. Kudos to them. They battled well. They are a well-organized team and tough to break down. I thought their keeper made three big saves.”
Meanwhile, the UBC Okanagan Heat kicked off their 2018 Canada West season Monday afternoon with a 1-1 draw against the Trinity Western Spartans of Langley.
All the action took place in the second half as the Heat took the lead on the defending conference silver medalists thanks to a Corbin Beauchemin strike in the 56th minute. The lead only lasted nine minutes as Jacob Low equalized.
Beauchemin converted off a corner with the ball dropping to the second-year midfielder from 10 yards out and he buried it bottom left corner. Fifth-year defender Shaun Pilcher picked up the assist after connecting first on Nikhil Redyy’s corner.
Trinity levelled the score thanks to a strike from substitute midfielder Low, who connected on a left-to-right cross from Josh Hardy with a six-yard volley.
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