After making history against UBC, TRU WolfPack turn attention to securing home playoff match

With her WolfPack down 1-0 in the second half, Olcen dined on a delectable corner kick from Makenna Ford.

“Volley, right over the goalie’s head, so super fun,” said Olcen, a Victoria product.

Added WolfPack co-captain Bella Geremia: “I was right behind Joss when she did it… and I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh. No way she just did that.'”

The WolfPack snared their first point from the T-Birds with a 1-1 draw.

“I was really, really proud of the fact we played 17 players on that day,” WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington said. “It’s not often you go that deep into your bench. Every single player came in and did a job.”

TRU’s weekend ended on a sour note, a 1-0 loss to the Trinity Western Spartans on Saturday (Oct. 17) in Langley that adds intrigue to the final weekend of the regular season.

“It really sucks,” Geremia said. “It was a hard pill to swallow, for sure. That’s what we have this weekend for. Revenge is coming and we’re excited.”

The WolfPack (6-2-4) will host the UBC Okanagan Heat (2-8-2) of Kelowna on Friday [Oct. 23] and the Spartans (7-3-2) on Saturday [Oct. 24]. Trinity is second in Pacific Division standings, one point ahead of TRU.

Both the Pack and Spartans have secured playoff berths, but the second-place finisher will host a quarter-final post-season match while the third-place club will travel to the Prairie Division for its quarter-final tilt.

TRU has never hosted a quarter-final.

“Having our home fans and being able to play on our home field, and getting the energy from our fans, would be a really cool experience and would be really helpful,” Pennington said. “We’ll be doing everything we can to make sure we give everything in these two games.”

The potentially crucial Saturday match will take place on Seniors’ Night at Hillside Stadium, the final regular season home game for the WolfPack’s seven graduating players.

“Sadness, for sure,” Geremia said. “I’ve been trying not to think about it because it makes me emotional, but I’m excited, too. My family will be here, friends and family, and I know all the other seniors’ friends and family will be here, too.”

WolfPack forward Esi Lufo is questionable to make her return from injury this weekend. Meanwhile, Kat Stewart will be out of TRU’s lineup for both games, the two-match ban punishment for receiving a red card in the loss to Trinity

TRU needs one victory to reach the seven-win mark for the first time since joining U Sports.

by Marty Hastings

After making history against UBC, TRU WolfPack turn attention to securing home playoff match

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