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By Michael Reeve

TRU SOCCER

Tough task awaits as the WolfPack women’s soccer team opens home slate Friday at Hillside Stadium

Sep 5, 2024 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The friendly confines of Hillside Stadium will again bask in an orange glow on Friday (Sept 6) as the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s soccer team makes its return to campus for the home opener. The ‘Pack dropped the team’s opener on the road last weekend 2-0 to the cross-Interior rival UBC-Okanagan Heat.

Home sweet home for the WolfPack women’s soccer team as it has returned to Hillside Stadium to kick off its home slate Friday evening. Last year, home field played a vital role for the TRU with three wins coming on the Hillside pitch.

“I’m so excited. Last year’s home opener was one of the best games of the season for me, just seeing all my friends and family in the stands. I’m just super excited,” said Berea Woldeyes, second year midfielder.

“It’s going to be very exciting. It’s been a while now — it should be a big crowd. There is going to be a tuition draw at halftime so it will be super exciting,” added fellow midfielder Katie Chun.

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The newest edition of the ‘Pack is a keen mixture of veteran experience and youthful exuberance, hoping to meld together and push for a Canada West playoff spot.

“We are going to be gritty, we are going to be fast and still stay in control of the game, and hopefully pull out a win,” said the fourth-year Chun.

Despite a 2-0 defeat last weekend in Kelowna, Coach Mark Pennington fully grasps his squad’s potential.

“For periods of the game, I thought we were really good early on. Everything we kind of talked about, what we have kind of been working on in preseason,” said Pennington. “From that perspective, there were some positives. (It was) good to get some minutes into some of the younger players. We died off a little bit both mentally and physically, I think, but we played against a really good team.”

A tough weekend double-dip awaits the orange-clad unit, with a nationally-ranked foe set for Friday.

“Every point counts and it doesn’t come much harder. We have number two this weekend and number one in the country next weekend in UBC. We start with [Trinity Western], who finished second in the country last year. We know what they are about. They are a good team — always well organized. But we will have a plan and hopefully we can carry out the plan and make it difficult for them and get a result,” said Pennington.

Hopefully getting the WolfPack over the line will be an expected strong crowd at Hillside, with a tuition draw expected to bring in students following the welcome back barbecue on campus.

“It helps a lot, and just hearing the crowd get wild in those final minutes it helps us a lot with our final pushed to come out with a win,” said Woldeyes.

Kickoff on Friday is 5:00 p.m., with game two of the weekend to follow at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday versus the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades.