Image credit: TRU athletics/Andrew Snucins

By Adam Donnelly

PLAYOFFS, BABY!

WolfPack men’s soccer has unfinished business with its opponent in Friday’s Canada West Quarter Final

Oct 27, 2022 | 4:47 PM

KAMLOOPS — This weekend might be one of the most important ever for TRU soccer. The women’s team is on the road in its first-ever Canada West quarter final appearance, while the men will host the University of Calgary at Hillside Stadium on Friday night (Oct. 28).

After a tough loss earlier this season, there’s an air of unfinished business for the men’s squad against the Dinos.

There was only one goal in the match between Thompson Rivers University and the U of C Dinos at Hillside Stadium, back in September.

The Dinos went on to win 1-0, one of just three TRU losses on the season.

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“We want to redeem ourselves from that game. I thought we played okay — not the best that we’ve played,” Head Coach John Antulov explains. “For us to be able to come back, play them again, I think gives us that little extra incentive.”

In the last five games, the WolfPack have lost just once — however, they haven’t won in those five games, either.

Fifth-year keeper Jackson Garnder has four clean sheets in his past five contests and sees that as a result of a commitment to team defence.

“Offence wins games, defence wins championships,” Gardner says. “That’s kind of what we’re striving for here. Obviously, we want to win that national championship, come November, as well. Even if you look at the offence, the goals might not be going in, but it starts from up there. The work that the strikers are putting in to put pressure on the backline of the opposing teams has kind of a ripple effect all the way down and makes it easier on the backline, and at the end of the day gives me less work to do.”

With 16 shutouts in his Canada West soccer career, Gardner now has a share of the tenth spot all-time in the conference for clean sheets. Despite those numbers, he was overlooked in this year’s Canada West all-star selection.

“He’s been amazing for us,” Anutlov says of his goalkeeper. “The fact that, to this point, he hasn’t won any all-stars or anything like that has been a bit of a surprise to me. At the end of the day, he’s been an all-star for us, and he’s been amazing.”

Antulov isn’t worried about the lack of offensive production. However, he knows his team needs to capitalize on those chances if they hope to move on to the Canada West Final Four.

“I would be more worried if we weren’t creating opportunities, if we weren’t getting shots,” Antulov says. “But the fact that we’ve been outshooting teams, getting really good scoring opportunities makes me feel good. I told the guys, eventually the goals will come.”

Gardner knows the ‘Pack will be in tough this weekend. However, he’s confident his guys can get it done — but is also hoping there’s a big crowd at Hillside Stadium on Friday night to cheer them on.

“You go to some of the other universities and see the atmosphere they have at their games, and you almost feel sorry for them,” Gardner says. “The things we do out here, with the amazing support we get, locally and then from the university itself, as well. We have a great support system here, and playing in front of our fans is unbelievable.”

Game time for the Canada West quarterfinal between TRU and Calgary is 7:00 pm on Friday night at Hillside Stadium.