Women’s Soccer News

Sydney, NS – The Trinity Western Spartans will play for gold on Sunday afternoon at the 2021 U SPORTS Women’s Soccer Championships.

The Spartans secured their spot in the title match with a hard-fought and thrilling 4-2 victory in extra time over the Laval Rouge et Or on Saturday afternoon.

Early in the second half of extra time, senior forward Kathryn Harvey tallied a sensational marker in the 105th minute, which ended up as the game-winner.

After making a great run into the Laval zone, she made a move on a defender before blasting a strike into the top corner behind senior keeper Mathilde Rousseau.

A short time later, in the 107th minute, the Spartans added an insurance marker, when freshman forward Holland Stiel tucked a loose ball inside the right goal post from close quarters to make it 4-2.

In a feverish 15-minute stretch in the second half, both sides scored a pair of goals, which created a deadlock and the need for extra time.

In the 76th minute, senior forward Anna Dunn made it 1-0 for the Spartans, when she ripped a left-footed shot into the net behind Labrecque, finishing off a sequence of pressure by the Canada West champions.

In the 82nd minute, freshman forward Mathilde Rousseau notched the equalizer for Laval, finishing off a nifty passing play.

Five minutes later, in the 87th minute, she put her side ahead 2-1, when she sent a rocket – from 20 yards away – into the top corner behind Spartan junior keeper Hannah Miller.

Only two minutes later, with Laval tasting a berth in the national championship game, sophomore midfielder Grace Van Den Brink knotted the contest in dramatic fashion.

Early in the first half, Laval – the RSEQ champions – garnered the initial set piece of the match, with senior forward Joëlle Mercier taking the corner kick. After a scramble in the 18-yard box, the Trinity Western defenders were able to clear the zone.

In the 12th minute, Harvey made a stellar run down the right wing, but her cross was cleared away by a Rouge et Or defender for a corner kick. On the ensuing set pieces – one corner kick after another by sophomore midfielder Sierra Halldorson – Trinity Western came up empty.

From just more than 20 yards away – in the 27th minute – Dunn laced a shot but Labrecque dove to her left and deflected the ball into touch. On the subsequent corner kick from Halldorson, Trinity Western came up empty, and it remained scoreless.

In the 34th minute, senior forward Mirieille Patry darted down the wing – after gathering up a through ball from Rousseau – but Miller came off her line to gobble up the cross.

A few minutes later, Halldorson curled a corner kick to the far post for Trinity Western, but a header by fifth-year defender Elizabeth Hicks went wide and out of bounds.

In the 40th minute, Hicks soared to head away a corner kick from Laval’s fifth-year defender Cynthia Gaspar-Freire. After another defender cleared the ball, it ended up on the foot of Arielle Roy-Petitclerc, who floated a shot on goal that Miller caught for an easy stop.

The match was scoreless at halftime.

In the opening minute of the second half, Halldorson took a shot – from distance – that Labrecque scooped up easily.

Laval answered with some early pressure, but they could not generate any quality scoring opportunities.

In the 58th minute, Dunn made a great run to catch up to a through ball from senior midfielder Gabi Low, but her cross ended up in the hands of Labrecque.

Ten minutes later, Dunn sent a through ball to Harvey, who had gotten behind the Laval defense, but Labrecque slid out aggressively to gather the loose ball.

On the last of three consecutive corner kicks in short order for the Spartans, Hicks connected on a header towards the right post, but Labrecque made the save.

Both teams came up empty on the scoreboard in the first 15-minute half of extra time.

In a Canada West tilt, Trinity Western will face the MacEwan Griffins in the gold medal match on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. AST, while Laval will kick off against the UBC Thunderbirds, at 11 a.m., in the bronze medal match.

NIKE Players of the Game

  • Trinity Western: Anna Dunn
  • Laval: Mathilde Rousseau   

Summary

Trinity Western – 0-2-0-2-4

Laval – 0-2-0-0-2

First half

No scoring

Second Half

TWU:    Anna Dunn 76’                                  TWU-1 – LAV-0
LAV:      Mathilde Rousseau 82’                     TWU-1 – LAV-1
LAV:      Mathilde Rousseau 87’                     TWU-1 – LAV-2
TWU:    Grace Van Den Brink 89’                  TWU-2 – LAV-2

Extra time

TWU:   Kathryn Harvey 105’                          TWU-3 – LAV-2
TWU:    Holland Stiel 107’                              TWU-4 – LAV-2

Digital coverage can be accessed on cbcsport.ca the free CBC Gem streaming service and the CBC Sports app, while French-language broadcasts are available at https://video.isilive.ca/play/usports/w-soccer-french