Heartbreaking finish for Griffins as solid season comes to a halt after 1-0 playoff loss to Spartans
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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1 | 0 | 1 |
Team Stats
Trinity Western
| Game Statistics | MacEwan University | Trinity Western |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 7 (4) | 17 (7) |
| Saves | 6 | 4 |
| Fouls | 11 | 11 |
| Corner Kicks | 2 | 9 |
| Offsides | 0 | 2 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
LANGLEY, B.C. – Sometimes, the storybook ending just isn't meant to be.
Those are tough words to digest for the Griffins women's soccer team, who lost 1-0 to the Trinity Western Spartans in their Canada West quarter-final match on Friday night and had their season end in heartbreaking fashion.
It's especially difficult for the team's five graduating seniors – a legendary class that will be remembered forever in program history – as Grace Mwasalla, Alyx Henderson, Raeghan McCarthy and Nikki Brodeur played their final Canada West match.
Not to be forgotten in that group is fellow fifth-year graduate Anneke Odinga, who was unable to play after suffering a season-ending injury earlier this month.
"Gutted for our seniors who have poured so much into our program," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro. "I didn't want it to end for them today."
Unfortunately, for the second-straight season, the Griffins lost by a goal to the Spartans, who beat them 2-1 last year in a quarter-final match held in Edmonton.
"All five of our seniors, they left it on the pitch," said Cordeiro. "They came ever so close. I was hoping for a little bit more of a storybook ending for them.
"This was the field we punched our ticket to go to nationals and the rest was history in 2021, winning a national championship, their first in their first year. Wanted a little bit of magic today for them to get to Final Four and be one step closer to punching their ticket to nationals. But it wasn't meant to be. That's sport sometimes."
"So, heads up for the five of them," he added. "I'm so proud of them and everything they've done for this program and everything they've meant to this program. Their legacy will last forever. I know right now it's a difficult time for them, but I'm just so proud of them. They left it on the pitch, and I couldn't ask for more as a coach. It's the way it goes sometimes in sport."
After a strong start to the match, the Griffins' early momentum was sapped when Sophie Lavallee was struck in the face by a deflected ball and had to leave the game for a few minutes with a nosebleed.
Eventually, even with Lavallee back in the match, the Spartans found the game's opening goal in the 37thminute when Sophie Crowther got off a cross from the left side that sailed through to the Luciana Andrews for a back post tap in.
"Credit Trinity, they're a great team," said Cordeiro. "They've got some really good pieces and they're well coached. They ended up finding one close to half-time on a ball whipping through to the back post.
"I loved our response after that. I felt we had a couple great opportunities, we just couldn't break free."
Sabrina Alexander makes one of her six saves on Friday (TWU photo).
Paige Colby hit a crossbar before the Griffins' best sequence of the match came in the 54th minute as Mwasalla was played in alone, but was stopped by goalkeeper Yasmine Pahal before also making a spectacular save on the rebound, which had spilled to Brynn Hobal.
"The best chance came on a great through ball to Grace," said Cordeiro. "She was in all alone. The keeper saved her and the rebound got spilled to Brynn Hobal. She had a good look and their keeper made another outstanding save.
"We kept fighting to the end and we couldn't find the equalizer."
Sabrina Alexander made six saves for the Griffins, while Pahal stopped four for Trinity Western.
"Shout out to Sabrina Alexander," said Cordeiro. "She was stellar today – her distribution, her poise, her rebound control. She was next level. Kiera Inglis stepped up today. Big shoes to fill with us losing Anneke Odinga. She was outstanding today.
"Our player of the game today was Brynn Hobal – all over the pitch, breaking lines, drew a couple critical free kicks in good places, but we just couldn't capitalize. One of them was Paige Colby's crossbar."
