The University of the Fraser Valley women's soccer team staged a breakthrough at the expense of the Thompson Rivers WolfPack on Friday evening, rolling to a 3-0 win on the road in Kamloops.
Hannah Gamble scored twice,
Brittany Costa added a single, and the Cascades were airtight defensively to the extent that goalkeeper
Joven Sandhu was called upon for just one save en route to her second clean sheet of the season.
It was the first win of the Canada West campaign for the Cascades (1-4-2), who wrap up the weekend series with the WolfPack (0-7-2) on Saturday (7 p.m.,
CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op).
"I'm extremely proud of the girls," UFV assistant coach
Shelby Beck said afterward. "It was a deserved win, and it was nice to get some goals and get that winning feeling again.
"I just think we never gave up. We started the game on our front foot and went at them right away. We kept the ball, and we were obviously able to score and finish our chances in the final third. We have lots of happy faces tonight."
Gamble broke the ice in the 15th minute –
Jashan Sandhar got the ball to
Jessica Fennell, who dashed into the box down the right side and crossed to Gamble, who volleyed home with her right foot.
Cascades captain Costa made it 2-0 in the 38th.
Halle McCambley made a run down the left and sent the ball back to Costa at the top of the box, and she unleashed a terrific strike that found the top left corner.
Just a couple minutes later, Gamble notched her second of the night – Sandhar sent the ball into the box for Gamble, and while her initial shot was blocked, she stuck with it and whacked home the rebound.
The Cascades cruised from there, earning the lion's share of possession and generating a few more dangerous chances that did not come to fruition. In the 50th, Costa linked up with Gamble who sent it ahead to Sandhar, in alone on TRU keeper Danielle Robertson. She snuck a shot through Robertson's legs, but a WolfPack defender came through to clear the ball before it crossed the line.
"She's had a positive mindset this entire season," Beck said. "She constantly works and tries to get herself into great position. It was great to see her finish those chances, and hopefully she can continue that going forward."
