The injury-ravaged Trinity Western men鈥檚 soccer team is making a late-season push for a playoff spot.
The Spartans defeated the visiting Mount Royal Cougars and Winnipeg Wesmen by identical 1-0 scores at Rogers Field over the weekend to improve to 3-6-1. They are just three points back of the third-place Fraser Valley Cascades and have two games in hand. Four games remain in the regular season.
The only scoring in Friday鈥檚 game was an own goal off a corner kick in the 75th minute.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e really breathing a sigh of relief tonight,鈥� said Spartans coach Pat Rohla after the game.
鈥淲e really needed to get this one and while it was earned on an own goal, we鈥檙e happy with the win.
鈥淲e probably squandered six good chances, at least, so I don鈥檛 think the score was entirely indicative of the game.鈥�
Andrew Hicks made four saves for the victory and then another three the next night.
Carlos del Aguila strike in the 12th minute for the game鈥檚 only goal.
鈥淚 thought it was a great character win,鈥� Rohla said.
鈥淥nce again I think some of the issues that we had were of our own doing. I think we should have done more with our possession, particularly in the first half and we really lacked connecting passes through that final third.
鈥淗aving said that, I thought we did a lot of good things. We were brave and we had good Spartan spirit. We鈥檝e been asking these guys to bring this type of game and they did. It鈥檚 one of those situations where we鈥檙e doing everything but putting the ball in the onion bag. I鈥檇 be really nervous if the chances weren鈥檛 there, but they were. It鈥檚 a sign that the team is alive and positive and I鈥檓 actually very proud of the way they鈥檝e responded in the last couple of weeks.鈥�
鈥⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌�
The Spartans close the home portion of the regular season schedule as they host the UNBC Timberwolves on both Friday and Saturday. Both games begin at 7 p.m.
