The UFV Cascades women's soccer team clinched their spot in the 2023 Canada West Playoffs after a great start boosted them to a 3-0 victory over the Mount Royal University Cougars on Sunday in Abbotsford.Â
The Cascades (6-5-3) and Cougars (4-7-3) came into Sunday's game vying for the final playoff spot in the pacific division, but the UFV win puts them six points clear of MRU and sets up a meeting next week with the Victoria Vikes.
Sunday's game was also UFV's annual senior night, as the team honoured six graduating players –
Halle McCambley,
Jenna Mele,
Jasdeep Dhaliwal,
Jessica Fennell,
Kareena Sahota, and
Alanna Sydenham – in a pregame ceremony.Â
McCambley got the Cascades off to a dream start in the second minute of the game. The forward got on the end of a long ball from
Dessa Peterson and, despite her original shot being saved, buried a rebound to give UFV the early lead.Â
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"It was just a really good feeling," McCambley said of her goal post game. "It got the girls going, and you definitely felt that after that goal everything kind've picked up for us, and they dropped off. I could feel that it was going to go our way, and it was just a great way to start it off, especially on my senior night."
The Cascades would see their lead double in the 15
th minute, when another ball forward from Peterson found
Kiana Langston, who managed to gain control in the box before sneaking her left footed shot past a trio of defenders on the goal line.
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Despite a couple of MRU chances, the UFV defence stood strong, and Sahota made nine save in the Cascades goal to stifle anything dangerous.Â
Brooklynn Franzon put the game on ice in the 90
th minute when she picked up a turnover at the edge of the box and placed a shot neatly past MRU goalkeeper Natalija Djurisic to make it 3-0.
The Cascades will now head to Victoria next week to face the Vikes in a one game playoff, with the winner advancing to play the MacEwan Griffins the following week. All games will be available to watch live on Canada West TV.
Visit winthewest.ca/wsoc for more information about the 2023 Canada West women's soccer championships, and stay tuned to gocascades.ca for updated game times.
