Image Credit: TRU WolfPack/Conan Shing

By Adam Donnelly

CANADA WEST SOCCER

WolfPack Women’s Soccer hopes to clinch a playoff berth heading into final weekend

Oct 12, 2022 | 5:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — The TRU WolfPack Women are working hard in practice this week, with the knowledge that good results this weekend could solidify their spot in the Canada West playoff picture.

“We know our game against UNBC Is going to be a huge game and we’ve been working all week towards that,” veteran midfielder Ainsley Grether tells CFJC Sports. “[We’re] keeping the mindset light, nothing too heavy – we don’t want to put a bunch of pressure on ourselves – but as I said, the girls are still hunting for a playoff spot, for sure.”

TRU was missing a couple of key players on opening weekend when they lost to the University of Calgary 5-0, and UNBC 1-0.

“We came on the wrong side of two results that opening weekend of the season,” Head Coach Mark Pennington says. “We were missing some bodies that weekend, so we probably weren’t at full strength with our back four being out.”

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Since then, they’ve found their stride, winning five, drawing two and losing three. A win this weekend would not only set a program record for the most victories in a season, but it also would ensure just the second playoff appearance ever. First up for the ‘Pack is a tilt against UNBC in Prince George, a game that TRU players have had circled for a while.

“If we picked one game we want, it would be to beat UNBC the last weekend,” defender Caylah Lemon says. “That’s what we have to do to make a playoff spot. We’re just really dialled in this week and want to complete that.”

TRU is in fourth place in the Canada West Pacific Division standings. If they can hold onto that spot, they’ll host the fifth-place team in a play-in game on October 22nd. However, Coach Pennington knows that the UNBC Timberwolves, who are just two points back of the ‘Pack, will also be ready to play.

“UNBC has been playing really well,” Pennington says. “They’ve been well-organized, they’ve got some results. They’ll be a difficult team to play against. It’s never easy. I have a lot of respect for their coach over there, he does a really good job. We’ll do everything we can to try and get a result.”

The players on this team know what’s on the line heading into the final weekend of the regular season. They also know there’s no shortage of motivation to get results.

“For the likes of Camryn [Curts], Julia [Burkhart], and Marissa [Young], I started the program with all those girls, and they’re all heading out this year,” Grether says. “If anything, we do it for them. They all deserve a good run at this, and they all deserve how far we can take this team.”

“We always talk about we wanted to end the season on a high,” Lemon says. “At the start, we weren’t very good, but we progressed as the season went on. We are where we wanted to be and this weekend is lining up right how we wanted it to. So everything is working out.”