MSOC: Rookie Mailand scores as Cascades down national champions for first win of the season

Abbotsford, BC – Kevin Mailand's 23^rd minute strike propelled the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades past the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack on Saturday afternoon at the MRC Sports Complex. 

How it happened
Mailand, who made his first career Canada West start on Saturday, got on the end of Kian Proctor's corner kick at the near post, and he made no mistake slotting it past TRU goalkeeper Olivier Jumeau.
 

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The WolfPack's best chance of the night came just 10 minutes later, as Patrick Izett found himself free near the top of the box, and his shot seemed destined for the bottom right corner before UFV's Jackson Cowx made a tremendous diving save to keep his team in front.

The two teams battled throughout the second half, and despite a last minute surge by TRU, the Cascades held on to the clean sheet to secure their first Canada West win in 2023.

Quotable
Cascades' goalscorer Kevin Mailand on his first Canada West goal:
"It felt great. To be honest I didn't see it go in, but I heard the boys cheering and that feeling was amazing. All of the guys on the sideline and on the bench all of them gave everything for the win today so that felt great."
 

????? | Hear from Cascades goal scorer Kevin Mailand on opening his Canada West account, and picking up the season's first win!#weclimbweconquer pic.twitter.com/oipeHEpbGA

— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) August 27, 2023

Cascades head coach Tom Lowndes:
"I think it was well deserved. To come up against the national champions and a team full of quality and to beat them is obviously a really good start to the season. Getting the three points today is huge."

"I thought Kevin [Mailand] came in yesterday and did really well, so we gave him the start today and he obviously repaid that faith. He was a handful and scored a really good goal."

"I think the big thing today was it was such a team effort. It was all 18 guys, and the guys in the stands helping to push us through. I thought we defended really well. Jackson [Cowx] has made one really good save, but aside from that I think we were full value for the win."

Where they sit
UFV now moves to 1-1-0 on the season, while TRU falls to 0-2-0. The Cascades now head into a bye week before heading on the road to face UBC and Victoria on September 8 and 10. 

Notable
Cowx's fifth career Canada West regular season clean sheet moves him into sole possession of fourth spot all-time on the Cascades' shutout list. Just two shy of current UFV assistant coach David Hicks in third.
 

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