Trinity Western women ensure that B.C. gets sweep of CIS titles

The province of British Columbia can boast a clean sweep in CIS soccer.

Hours after UBC won the men’s title Sunday in Quebec City, Trinity Western University took the women’s crown in Victoria. The Spartans prevented Queen’s from claiming a third title in a row, winning the penalty shootout after 120 minutes of scoreless soccer in the wind and the rain.

The Spartans were perfect from the penalty spot. Gael Alexis McKinty saw her shot strike the bar when the teams were tied 2-2 in kicks. After TWU keeper Kristen Funk stopped the fourth Gaels attempt from the spot, Colleen Webber smashed home the shot that gave the Spartans an insurmountable 4-2 advantage — and no need for the fifth round of kicks.

TWU had the best chance to win the game before the shootout. With just two miniutes left in the second half of extra time, the Spartans — with a huge wind at their back — pressed the Gaels looking for the winner. A chance fell to the foot of Spartan Stephanie Chin, who fired a volley from point-blank range. But Queen’s keeper Madison Tyrell stayed square to the shooter and made what was at the time a game-saving save. But, in the end, it only can be looked back on as a game-prolonging save.

Queen’s looked like the team of destiny heading into the final; the two-time defending champ needed an eight-round penalty-kick shootout win in the OUA bronze-medal match over McMaster, to book a last-gasp spot in nationals. And, the Gaels stunned previously undefeated Ottawa 4-1 in the national semifinal. So, it looked as if fate had decided that Queen’s would become the first women’s soccer program to win three national titles in a row.

But TWUs perfection from the penalty spot ended that dream — and we can now talk about a Spartans program that has won three titles over the past five seasons.