Highlights from this afternoon’s MSOC match between @goUFV and Thompson Rivers, courtesy @GoTRUWolfPack.
How ’bout that Parfett goal??? 👀 pic.twitter.com/1fj9eqyg1Z
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) September 30, 2017
A pair of Davids, Hicks and Parfett, came through with highlight-reel performances to deliver a 2-1 victory for the University of the Fraser Valley men’s soccer team on Saturday afternoon in Kamloops.
Facing a tough Thompson Rivers WolfPack squad which is gearing up to host the U SPORTS national championship next month, the Cascades rallied from a halftime deficit to bolster their playoff hopes considerably.
Cascades goalkeeper Hicks kept his team in it during the opening 45 minutes, which were dominated by the host WolfPack. UFV was outshot 6-0 in the first half, but just one ball got by Hicks – a close-range finish from Finlay McPhie.
The Cascades were much better after the break. Jassi Mann knotted the score in the 58th minute, and Parfett followed with the first goal of his Cascades career in the 81st. It was no pedestrian effort – the redshirt freshman midfielder unleashed a stunning top-corner strike from 35 yards out that will surely be a candidate for U SPORTS goal of the year.
UFV’s Elijah Sampson goes airborne with TRU’s Adam Swanson on Saturday afternoon in Kamloops. (Photos courtesy Allen Douglas / TRU Athletics)
The Cascades improved to 3-4-2, and will look to get back to the .500 mark on Sunday afternoon when they visit the UBC Okanagan Heat (3 p.m., CanadaWest.tv). TRU (4-2-4) suffered its first home loss of the campaign and saw a seven-match unbeaten streak come to an end.
“Definitely a tale of two halves,” UFV head coach Tom Lowndes noted. “First half, we weren’t very good at all. We got too deep, we gave them too much of the ball, and we looked a bit lifeless to be honest. To say I lit a rocket at halftime would be an understatement.
“We changed our formation (after halftime), and the battle and fight was there that had been missing in the first half. I’m really happy for the boys.”
The WolfPack had the lion’s share of possession in the first half on Saturday, but Hick frustrated them repeatedly. He made a diving stop on a point-blank shot from Ryan Glanville in the 19th minute, and leaped to tip Colton Walker’s rising shot over the bar in the 28th.
Shortly thereafter, TRU finally broke through. On a chaotic sequence following a WolfPack corner, conference assists leader Mitchell Popadynetz tracked down the ball and sent a cross back into the box for McPhie to finish.
In the second half, the Cascades had more success keeping possession and going forward, and they levelled the score on a deft series of passes. On a free kick from the left wing, Gurmaan Jhaj spotted Jun Won Choi at the far post, and he sent a header back across the goalmouth to Mann for an easy tap-in.
Each team had their chances to claim the lead. TRU’s Brandon Mendez had a shot tipped over the bar by Hicks in the 68th, and later on, another Jhaj free kick from a nearly identical spot that led to Mann’s goal produced a sliding shot by Bronson Hartley that was snared by WolfPack keeper Alex Ram.
Parfett broke the tie in spectacular fashion – he took a pass from Hartley in the middle of the pitch and fired an absolute laser beam from distance that Ram had no chance on.
“It was a world-class goal,” Lowndes marveled. “If you see Cristiano Ronaldo do that, people would be talking about it for the next two or three weeks. For it to be his first goal, and the timing of it in the game, was incredible.
“Just a fantastic strike, and no keeper in our league is saving that shot.”
Parfett said it felt “amazing” to score his first career goal in such a high-leverage spot for his team.
“It just came to me, and I thought, Why not? I’ll just shoot it,” he recounted. “And it worked out.”
Hicks finished with seven saves, and Lowndes termed his performance “fantastic”.
“He made some unbelievable saves and showed how good he is,” Lowndes said. “He’s been battling an injury and we haven’t seen the best of him. But now that he’s fit, he’s been the keeper that I know he is, and I was really proud of his performance today.”
Cascades keeper David Hicks prevents TRU’s Ryan Glanville from a header goal.
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