ufv cascades(Submitted by Dan Kinvig) Here is a wrap-up of this weekend’s UFV soccer action.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The University of the Fraser Valley women’s soccer team picked up its first win of the young Canada West season on Saturday evening, beating the UBC Thunderbirds 2-1 at Abbotsford Senior Secondary.
Cascade defender Jade Palm headed home the game-winner in the second half, off a corner kick after the ball caromed off forward Shelby Beck. It was Beck’s second assist of the night – she also set the table for Monika Levarsky to open the scoring in the 14th minute.
Shayla Chorney replied for the Thunderbirds shortly after Levarsky’s goal, but UBC could not find an equalizer despite a strong push forward in the second half.
“It means a lot,” said Cascades head coach Rob Giesbrecht, whose team improved to 1-0-1 on the season. “Yesterday (in a scoreless tie with UVic) we felt we let one get away. . . To play a very good opponent in UBC today, to come out and get the result, it just speaks to the character the girls have and their whatever-it-takes mentality. I’m so proud of them.”
The T-Birds (2-1-0) were coming off a 2-0 win on Friday over the Trinity Western Spartans, handing TWU its first CIS home loss in nearly two years.
But it was the Cascades who were the more dangerous team in the early going on Saturday. In the sixth minute, Danica Kump sent a ball across the mouth of goal where Brittney Zacharuk had her effort on goal knocked into touch by Thunderbirds’ keeper Olivia de Goede, who ranged quickly to her right to deny UFV of their first goal of the campaign.
UBC’s first chance to open the scoring came in the 14th minute when Shayla Chorney sent Taylor Shannik in on goal with a nice through ball. But Shannik’s shot sailed high.
The Cascades took full advantage of the missed attempt. Beck sent the ball into the box from the right side where Levarsky drove a hard, low shot to the far corner past the outstretched arms of de Goede.
UBC responded in the 20th minute, capitalizing on a corner kick. After Shannik delivered the ball into the box, Krista Whittaker sent the ball back across the grain where Chorney launched a looping header over Cascades goalkeeper Kayla Klim.
The Thunderbirds controlled play in the early part of the second half but were unable to find the back of the net. Instead, the Cascades added their second goal.
Off a Sunayna Samra corner kick in the 57th minute, Beck nudged the ball to Palm who got just enough of it to send it over the goal line.
“I went up, and there was a goalie and a player behind me, and I just flicked it over and it went in,” Palm recounted.
“My first year here I scored four goals, so I’m kind of aiming to top that this year. We’ll see how that goes.”
UBC continued to pressure the Cascades and thought they had a tying goal off the foot of Nicole Sydor in the 82nd minute, but she was adjudged to be in an offside position. That was as close as the T-Birds would come.
UBC’s Whittaker and UFV centre back Dayle Jeras were named game MVPs.
The Cascades are at home again next week to face the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (Friday, Sept. 18, 5 p.m.) and the UBC Okanagan Heat (Saturday, Sept. 19, 5 p.m.). Both games are at Abby Senior.
The T-Birds host the Alberta Pandas (Friday, 7 p.m.) and the UNBC Timberwolves (Saturday, 7 p.m.).

MEN’S SOCCER

Ryan Glanville and the Thompson Rivers WolfPack denied the University of the Fraser Valley men’s soccer team a perfect opening weekend.
Glanville, a third-year TRU striker, scored twice in the first half and added an assist on Oriol Torres’s goal after the break as the WolfPack blanked the Cascades 3-0 on Sunday afternoon in Kamloops.
The Cascades were coming off a 2-0 win over the UBC Okanagan Heat in their Canada West regular season opener on Saturday, but weren’t able to match that performance in the second game of a back-to-back set on the road.
“I’m disappointed in today, based on how well we did yesterday,” Cascades head coach Tom Lowndes said. “What a difference 24 hours makes – a complete contrast. We got outworked, out-battled. They wanted it more than us. Credit to TRU – they had a couple of chances, and they took advantage.”
The Cascades now turn their focus to preparing for their home openers next weekend. They host the UBC Thunderbirds on Friday, and the UVic Vikes on Saturday. Both games kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Abbotsford Senior Secondary’s Panther Field.
Glanville opened the scoring in the fifth minute, off a feed from Colton Walker. He made it 2-0 off a Cascades turnover in the 29th minute, then set up Torres for the third WolfPack goal in the 59th.
The Cascades out-shot TRU 16-8, and had a great scoring chance in the 32nd minute when striker James Najman got his head on the ball and sent it just over the WolfPack cage.
In the second half, UFV had two apparent goals – by strikers Daniel Molendijk and Daniel Davidson – disallowed on offside calls.
“In reality, we got what we deserved,” Lowndes analyzed. “We weren’t at the races today.”
UFV and TRU, both 1-1-0, are tied for third in the Pacific Division of Canada West.
The WolfPack were coming off a 3-1 loss to Trinity Western on Saturday.
“I think the guys realized that they didn’t play to their potential yesterday,” said WolfPack head coach John Antulov. “Not a lot had to be said. They did what they had to do today. You saw in the first half today that in the centre of the park, everyone was battling and we were winning most of the balls. I said before the match to the guys that in a worst-case scenario, battle and show commitment and don’t take anything off. They did that.”