Fifth-year keeper Kayla Klim was at her sure-handed best in a 2-0 win over UBC Okanagan on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cary Mellon / UBC Okanagan Athletics)
Goals from Gurneet Dhaliwal and Amanda Carruthers, backed by six saves from Kayla Klim, helped the UFV Cascades earn their second straight victory via shutout in Canada West women’s soccer action.
The Cascades, coming off a 3-0 win over the UVic Vikes at home one week ago, hit the road to face the UBC Okanagan Heat on Saturday afternoon in Kelowna and came away with a 2-0 win.
UFV improved to 3-1-2 with the victory, good for third place in the Pacific Division. UBC Okanagan (2-3-0) is sixth in the Pacific.
The Cascades wrap up their road swing on Sunday afternoon vs. the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (1 p.m., canadawest.tv).
“We got the three points, we scored a couple goals, but we need to be better at finishing,” Cascades head coach Rob Giesbrecht analyzed afterward.
“I liked Kayla Klim’s performance today – she came up big when needed. I liked the way she distributed the ball, and she was sure-handed. I was proud of her today, because she gave a captain’s performance. The team in front of her wasn’t playing that well today, but she allowed us to be successful because of her dominance in goal.”
The Cascades had the run of play in the first half, out-shooting the Heat 11-2, but it took them until the 30th minute to break through. Sophomore forward Gurneet Dhaliwal has been in fine form of late – she was named the Canada West second star of the week on Tuesday – and she came through once again. Karlee Pedersen caused a Heat turnover and fed the ball to Dhaliwal at the top of the box, and she unleashed a top-corner strike for her fifth goal of the season, tied for third-most in Canada West.
Carruthers came through with a top-corner effort of her own in the 68th minute to give UFV some breathing room. Dhaliwal picked up an assist on Carruthers’s fourth goal of the campaign.
The Heat had a better offensive push in the second half, with all six of Klim’s saves coming after the break. It was the fifth-year keeper’s third clean sheet of the season.
Glad to hear, it was a much needed victory. Will be at the TRU game tomorrow.