The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades women’s soccer team kept rolling on the weekend, with a win and a tie in Alberta and the team now plays the rest of the season in the Fraser Valley.
A unique Canada West schedule for the team saw them open with seven games on the road and then finish with seven games in Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
Being away from home did not negatively impact the club, as they finished an impressive 4-1-2 in those first seven games.
The Cascades posted a 2-0 win over the Lethbridge Pronhorns on Saturday (Sept. 16), getting second half goals from Alanna Sydenham (74th minute) and Dessa Peterson (78th minute). Kareena Sahota earned another clean sheet in the win.
“Alanna [Sydenham] has been very consistent, both her and Dessa [Peterson] have been consistent all season,” stated hea d coach Ari Adams. “Alanna has been a vocal leader, and leading by example, so to get the goal was pretty sweet for her I think. We came in with our goal setting and knew that we didn’t want goals against. Kareena [Sahota] has stepped up massively and she’s leading back there and punching balls away and it’s making all the difference in the world.”
Sahota continued her excellent play in goal on Sunday (Sept. 17) helping the Cascades play to a scoreless draw with the Calgary Dinos. The fourth straight shutout ties a team record set in 2014 and 2016 and her 361 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal is a new program record.
“Kareena has been absolutely fantastic,” Adams stated. “She has grown as a player already in this short amount of time, and really become a leader. The entire team is just battling defensively like they have probably never done in their lives. It’s not just the back line, it’s our entire team defensive unit. It starts with Kareena, and she’s been just top notch.”
The women sit in third place in CW’s Pacific Division and play on Friday (Sept. 22) at 6 p.m. in Chilliwack against the Saskatchewan Huskies. They return to Abbotsford’s Rotary Stadium to take on the Regina Cougars on Sunday (Sept. 24) at 10:30 a.m.
The men’s struggles continued, as they fell 3-1 in Edmonton to the University of Alberta Golden Bears and then dropped a 5-0 decision to the Mount Royal Cougars.
The men are now in last place in the Pacific Division at 1-5. Kian Proctor scored the team’s lone goal on the weekend.
Despite the losses, head coach Tom Lowndes said there is still room for optimism.
“The race for fourth is on now with 10 games to go,” he said. “For us being a team that’s in a transition year after graduating seven players last year and losing seven starters before this weekend to injury, I think the boys came in and worked hard and gave it their all. Unfortunately, the two teams we came up against No. 7 and No. 8 in the country and we battled them, but our injuries and at times our lack of experience has shown. We’ll bounce back with two games at home next weekend and look to get back in the mix.”
The men host Lethbridge in Chilliwack on Friday and then host the MacEwan Griffins in Abbotsford on Sunday.
For more, visit gocascades.ca.