Scheduled Game: ALBERTA*

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GAME RESULTS 1 2 T Alberta 0 1 1 Trinity Western 0 2 2 « FINAL

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Game Recap

Men's Soccer (Canada West)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
TWU Spartans (2) vs. the University of Alberta Golden Bears (1)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STORY BOOK!!
-Perfect ending for Spartans on seniors night

LANGLEY, British Columbia - Prior to tonight's match Trinity Western University honoured fifth year Spartans forward Adrian Kekec (Burnaby, B.C.) and midfielder Mustafa Demirci (Ankara, Turkey) as they played their final home match in a Spartans uniform. The Spartans and their "Faithful" fans could not have scripted a more perfect ending for the duo as Demirci scored once and had an assist on Kekec's game winner as the Spartans (6-4-3) kept their play-off hopes alive with a stunning come from behind 2-1 win over the visiting University of Alberta Golden Bears (4-3-4) Saturday night at TWU's Langley, B.C. campus.

"I'm really happy for Mustafa and Adrian for what they did tonight. They did exactly what we need them to do when we needed. It was a great way for them to finish off their last game at home," commented TWU head coach Al Alderson on his fifth year players.

The Golden Bears nearly got on the board in the 23rd minute but TWU keeper Andrew Kowan (2nd year, keeper, Richmond, B.C.) made an outstanding leaping save off of a blistering shot from Alberta's Brett Colvin (Calgary) to keep the game scoreless. Kowan's play early on kept the Spartans in the match until his team could get settled in front of him. "That was a spectacular save by Andrew Kowan," commented Alderson. "It was a brilliant, brilliant save."

With the two teams tied 0-0 at the half the match started to get intense as the second half progressed.

Alberta's Colvin finally got his goal when he opened the scoring in the 71st minute when he was sent in on the TWU net by a through ball from Cameron Schmidt (Edmonton). Colvin went in on a charging Kowan and sent the ball past the TWU keeper and into the bottom right corner of the Spartans net.

As the clock wound down the Spartans, who were in need of the win in their quest for the post season, changed their shape on the field. TWU coach Alderson pushed Demirci up front and went to an unconventional 3-5-2 formation.

The strategy worked as the Spartans were able to maintain possession in the midfield and get pressure on the Golden Bears backline. It did not take long for Trinity Western to reap the rewards of the strategy. In the 82nd minute TWU midfielder Israel Jones (3rd year, Medina, Ohio) turned from his left outside midfield position and sent a bending ball deep into the right side of the Alberta penalty area. Demirci, who was sprinting up the right side, ran on to the ball and hammered it past Alberta keeper Jaswinder Gill (Edmonton) and into the bottom left corner of the Golden Bears net.

Inspired by the 5th year's goal the rest of the team and the Spartan fans became energized. TWU kept the pressure on the Alberta defenders and less than six minutes later Kekec was able to get the game winner. Kekec, TWU's all-time goal scoring leader, got free inside the Golden Bears box and took a free kick from Demirci and headed toward the Alberta net. The ball took a strange bounce directly in front of the Alberta net and instead of sliding into Alberta's Gill the ball skipped high and into the top the net to give TWU the stunning 2-1 victory.

"For us to come back in the last ten minutes against a rested team makes me extremely proud," said Alderson. "We have a number of young players, who don't have a lot of experience, but they are learning quickly and every game we get under our belt is making us better and better."

TWU's Kowan made four saves to earn his sixth win of the season, while Gill made two saves in the Golden Bears loss.

Next up for the Spartans is their final match of the Canada West season. TWU will travel to Abbotsford to face the University of the Fraser Valley on Saturday, October 25. Match time at Bateman Park is set for 3:30 p.m.

Match notes: TWU currently is third place in Canada West with 21 points, but Alberta with 16 points has three games left and UFV with 15 points has two games left in which they could catch TWU. If Alberta wins two of their remaining three and UFV wins both of theirs they will pass the Spartans and eliminate TWU from the post season. However, if TWU wins their final match against UFV they will be in the postseason...Kekec is TWU's all-time goal scoring leader with 29 goals...

-TW-

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