By Paul Esau (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 17, 2012
In this season’s first truly rainy contest last Friday, the Cascades weren’t quite good enough to steal three points from a tough UVic squad. The Vikes improve to 8-1-1 on the season, while UFV falls to 6-3-1, retaining a tenuous hold on fourth place in the conference. After an exciting first half filled with chances for both squads, the Vikes put one past UFV keeper Kayla Klim in the 38th minute to score the match’s only goal.
Despite strong play from both the defensive line and the strikers, the Cascades continually had trouble moving the ball through the midfield to the attack. To compound the problem, the few opportunities UFV created in the second half were squandered through weak shots at the Vikes keeper or beyond the net.
One of the brighter spots on the UFV side, striker Carly Neeson, expressed how close the contest was. “I thought we played pretty good but just didn’t get a result,” she said. “We had lots of opportunities on net [just] like they did. They’re a good team, but we fought to the end, and just didn’t quite get the result we wanted.”
Despite the loss, coach Giesbrecht was proud of his team: “I thought we played great today, I thought we worked very hard. We just let up for a little bit and got punished, and that’s what good teams do, you let up for a little bit and you get punished. I thought if we were a little more composed and executed better in the final third we could have got more out of the game. Can’t fault their effort, their work was great, the commitment they showed was outstanding, and for my young team to go through that battle and do so well, I’m very proud of them.”
With 19 points in the standings, UFV remains one point ahead of Alberta. A strong showing next weekend could allow the Cascades to overtake UBC and prove they are a serious contender in Canada West.
