Hitting the road wasn't a recipe for success for the University of Fraser Valley Cascades men's and women's soccer teams, with the clubs earning just one combined point over four games on the weekend.
The women opened the 2024 Canada West regular season against the UBCO Heat on Friday (Sept. 6), but fell behind 10 minutes into the game and eventually lost 2-0. The Heat directed 22 shots towards the Cascades net, while UFV managed just three. Fouls were also an issue for the Cascades, as the club committed 12 to just six for the Heat.
WSOC | Another brilliant save by Addy Chen just before the half! pic.twitter.com/gqP9LecrZD
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) September 7, 2024
"UBCO won all the battles in the centre of the park and we had a slow start to each half resulting in the goals, and it took us too long to figure it out," stated women's head coach Ari Adams. "It was individual battles, and mistakes that are easily fixable, but our youth definitely showed tonight. We have to regroup and watch film tonight, and then come up with a game plan to be more organized and win our battles."
However, the poor start also occurred on Saturday (Sept. 7) against the TRU Wolfpack. The Cascades allowed a goal at the 13-minute mark and then three more in the second half to fall 4-0 in Kamloops. TRU's Juli La Rotta notched two goals in the win.
The Wolfpack dominated play with 23 shots directed at the UFV net, while UFV was unable to produce any.
"We are going to have to go back to basics," Adams said. "We have such a young team with a lack of experience, and we will have to reset after playing a pair of teams that played last week. We didn't have the depth with a few players out injured and our youth really showed tonight."
The women next return home to take on the MRU Cougars at Rotary Stadium on Friday (Sept. 13) at 6 p.m.
The men entered the weekend undefeated and that streak continued after a 1-1 draw against the Victoria Vikes on Friday.
UFV's Michael Beecroft got the Cascades on the board just four minutes into the game and that goal held until the 80th when the Vikes knotted the game up.
MSOC | Adam Szymanski heads it back accross goal and Michael Beecroft buries it!
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) September 7, 2024
What a start to quiet down the crowd! pic.twitter.com/NSHRjSA0SF
The Vikes outshot UFV 16-7 and also earned 11 corners to just two for the Cascades.
"It's a really good point away from home," stated men's head coach Tom Lowndes. "We scored on a really good set piece, and it's settled us, but it's probably also made us drop a little bit deep too early. You can't defend a one goal lead for 87 minutes on a big pitch and an intimidating atmosphere, so at times I think we were a bit too deep, but I also think we defended fantastically."
The unbeaten run then came to a screeching halt in Vancouver against the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday.
Sharpshooter Mateo Brazinha scored his team-leading fourth goal at the 33-minute mark, but UBC replied with four unanswered goals to post a 4-1 win. The teams were tied at halftime, but UBC's Henri Godbout scored two goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half to pace the Thunderbirds.
MSOC | The guy can’t be stopped…
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) September 8, 2024
Mateo Brazinha bags another goal off the feed from Dante Colebourne to give us the lead at UBC! pic.twitter.com/86UYNnfAsW
UBC outshot UFV 24-4 on the afternoon.
"I thought first half we competed well," Lowndes said. "We took our chance, and I thought we frustrated them. We switched off before halftime and that's a killer time to concede and that's changed the complexion of the game."
The men's record now stands at 3-1-2 and they rank third in the conference.
They return home to host the Saskatchewan Huskies at Rotary Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m.
For more on the teams, visit gocascades.ca.
